


Christmas After All

by PseudoTwili



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Drama, Family, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, maybe some Zelink if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-22 05:26:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13160211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PseudoTwili/pseuds/PseudoTwili
Summary: Link loathed Christmas. He never felt so alone and uncared for in huge Hyrule City as during that merry season. But when a pretty girl smiled at him across the department store counter, something warm began to stir in his starved heart, the first step in removing the mask of bitterness that he wears for the world. Semi-modernish AU.





	1. Just a Smile

Link hated Christmas. He hated the crushing, deafening crowds who pushed and shoved uncaringly in their avaricious attempts to get the best deal in Christmas presents. He hated the excited children and parents either wildly indulgent or quietly generous. He loathed the hellish din which was the department store in which he worked. Most of all, he despised cheery faces and people who were always wanting him to be merry. He grimaced mightily when the holly, red bows, wreaths, and other decorations came out all over Hyrule City, and he had the strongest desire to plug his ears when the store started playing the music of the approaching season while November still held them in her old age.

Rupin's Department Store was the biggest, most exclusive establishment in the entire city and was arguably the place to go for the very best, from fishing rods and canoes, to the best perfumes and to-die-for ensembles, to life-sized toy trains and superb imitation clawshots. The owner insisted upon the fine quality of the vast selection of merchandise that his store carried, but his employees knew this was at least partly in rivalry with another successful businessman.

Shad, the general manager, prevailed upon Link and some of the other employees to work on nights and weekends to festoon the store, and brought in extra workers for that specific purpose. The thought of helping cover the place with decorations of a season that he loathed was very repulsive to him, but he only agreed to it because he had nothing else to do except sleep, and the prospect of a little extra money was always a welcome thought. At least he didn't have to be cheery for customers and wait upon them hand and foot. The other employees stayed clear of him as much as possible and complained that he was terrible to work with; he was pricklier than a cactus bush without fruit or bloom, they said.

In the other months, Link was comparatively happier working in the sporting goods department, an activity which was more satisfying to him because he actually enjoyed demonstrating the equipment he sold and especially having the freedom of doing so outdoors. It seemed almost as if the management took perverse pleasure in moving him from that section to the huge toy department, called Fairyland, immediately after Thanksgiving. He had to accept the decision, too, for the store could easily find a replacement if he was foolish enough to let go of both sanity and job.

"Blasted toy department!" he muttered as he hurried up the stairs to the ninth floor. "Again this year?! Why? This store hates me and I hate them!"

He would have liked to continue wearing that glowering face, just to show how disagreeable he could be, but that was out of the question. Even more reason to frown was because he had a great dislike for the manager of that huge floor, Mr. Tingle, who seemed to think he was a child himself and was always coming by to tell the sales personnel to smile for the dear kiddies. Link plastered a sickening smile on his lips as he greeted his superior and received his instructions.

"And remember!" the red-cheeked, plump man with black goatee called. "Keep smiling for the kiddies!"

Link cringed and very briefly assumed a fierce scowl again. It was going to be a very long month…

"Why so down, boy?" boomed a nearby voice that was somehow sad and cheery all at once.

The young man started slightly and with a deepening grimace he glanced up at Batreaux, replete in bright red Santa suit and stuffed with a couple of pillows.

"I hate working here," he growled.

The gentleman with tufts of orange hair sticking out over his strangely shaped head did not understand the problem. He worked in the toy department year round because he loved children and always took pleasure in being near them. The little tykes who had been coming for months or years always recognized him and were very glad to see him. It was almost like having a few of them himself, the bachelor often remarked. There were several other Santas hired for the Christmas rush, but Batreaux was proudly the 'head Santa'.

"It's not so bad when you get used to it. The children really are wonderful and it's so much fun to hear their fanciful ideas. It brings back memories of my own childhood and many happy Christmases."

"Hmph."

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I must go find my wig and beard before the children see me like this. Everyone knows that Santa isn't red-headed or half bald!"

Batreaux chuckled and shuffled away, while Link stepped behind his counter and, with bangs and angry shoves of merchandise, made sure everything was in order before the customers began flowing in. He wore a smile and was polite to everyone who approached him; he gritted his teeth as he served the little brats who, in his opinion, would be better suited with a paddle in the stocking than to be so spoiled with expensive presents. Much as he wanted to, he did not cast glances at the clock, for when he did the hands of time seemed to mock him by moving slower than ever.

When at last the store closed at night, the employees trooped wearily to their homes and the cleaning staff put everything in order for the next day; they cleaned up counters and displays that children had been all over, made sure the train that ran through the entirety of Fairyland was in tip-top shape, and replaced all those decorations that had vanished or been crushed.

Link's apartment was way on the other side of the city and the only mode of transportation he could afford was the train. He hated it too, as it always smelled and he could almost never get a seat. When he did manage to snag one he was customarily so tired that he dozed off right away and awoke with a stiff neck a while later. On a few occasions he had snoozed past his stop and had to walk the several blocks through dark, dirty streets.

His apartment was quite a run-down affair and he loathed it. The paper-thin walls were cracked and dropped plaster everywhere, the uneven floors were always icy cold and squeaked terribly, the ceiling was spotted darkly, the rooms beneath the roof leaked like a sieve, the facilities were all outdoors, there wasn't even a telephone in the hall, and the landladies were perfect terrors. Link was sure that they were witches in disguise and that they were at least three-hundred and eighty years old. Because he was often late in paying his rent, he would always sneak past their door to avoid any unpleasant confrontation, but somehow one or both of them would unvaryingly hear him.

"You there, young man!" one of the sisters cackled. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"You owe us sixty rupees!" came the shriveled voice the other. "Come on, pay up or we'll take it out of your hide!"

A tired Link replied testily, "Look, I don't have it right now! I get paid tomorrow, so I'll be able to give you most of it then."

And with that he fled up the several flights to his cold little attic of an apartment. Sometimes he brought up a poor sandwich from the corner delicatessen, or stopped in at the nearby drugstore for whatever was cheapest. On days like this, he was too tired and cold for any extracurricular activities; it was too dark to read and the extra light would have cost him. He had no radio either, so he pulled his pitiful excuse for a bed as near to the tiny stove as he dared and covered himself with all the moth-eaten blankets he owned. Making a fire was something of a luxury for him, but when he did manage to find some flammable material he was ever so grateful for the additional warmth.

Before sleep claimed him, his thoughts sometimes drifted to his childhood. He'd been much happier then; even though his parents died before he could really remember them, he'd lived with his younger sister and the little grandmother who had loved them both very, very much. She was far from being wealthy; she only just managed to scrape together enough for herself and her two grandchildren because of her husband's pension and her sewing jobs, but the three of them were affluent with joy. She taught them many wonderful things before she grew sick and died when Link was ten and his sister was six. After she was gone, they had no other family. The siblings were separated amid a great deal of tears; he was shipped around from orphan homes to foster families and treated despicably. He ran away from the last one when he was fifteen, came to the big city and eventually found work as an errand boy for the department store.

Alone in that frigid room, his bitterness and grief melted into tears that fell and nearly froze upon his pillow. He had no idea what had befallen his sister; he missed both her and his dear grandmother so much! No one else had ever really cared about him since her death and it was during the joyous season of Christmas that he missed them the most. He dreamed of someday saving enough money to pay detectives to find the girl, but something always happened to siphon away the precious funds he tried so hard to reserve.

Before a week December had passed he was already so weary of the mad rush of always unsatisfied children, harried adults and of the pressure of his superiors; his mood was the darkest and gloomiest he'd ever experienced and he could only just keep from snapping at his many difficult customers. The forced smile that he assumed went no further or deeper than the very edges of his mouth and even then it seemed to be stretched very thin. He gritted his teeth whenever Mr. Tingle came by his counter.

"Dear fellow, are you helping the dear little kiddies find their hearts' desires?" he inquired all too sweetly. "It's very important that we help them to find something they want for Christmas!"

Before Link could form a respectable reply, the strange little man drifted away in hip-hoppy fashion. He muttered something under his breath that would have been printed in asterisks, and it was quite fortunate for him that no one was close enough to catch his words. He could already feel a headache coming on and he briefly rubbed his temples with his knuckles. In moments like this he thought very seriously of just quitting his loathsome job and finally having some peace of mind, but he would not give up while he still held hope of finding his sister.

"Blasted store!" he muttered. "I wish someone would burn it to the ground!"

He assumed his frozen smile again as two small boys ran up to the display near his counter and argued noisily what toys each one was going to get for Christmas. Apparently they thought there was only one of anything within sight and they had a contest going as to which one could wheedle more out of their parents. With one look at them Link groaned inwardly and turned his gaze toward the middle-aged man and woman who followed the little brats. He could tell at first glance that this was an affluent family, for the clothes that they wore were of the finest quality, as were their accessories, such as the stylish, gold-capped cane that the gentleman carried, and Link caught more than a whiff of what he knew to be very expensive perfume from the lady.

"How can I help you, sir, madam?" he asked, trying to keep his frayed nerve edge from coming into his voice.

The gentleman sighed, removed his silken top hat and wiped his forehead with an immaculate handkerchief. "We're looking for presents for our two little boys. Do you—"

Suddenly, the lady interrupted with an exclamation directed toward her devilish sons. "Joel! Zill! Do not kick the glass! Do you two want to break something?! Behave yourselves or there will be no Christmas presents for you!"

She turned back to Link of the un-moving face and said in a much gentler tone, "I'm sorry. Could you perhaps help us find something they'd like? It must be something very special and they have a lot of toys already…"

"Daddy! Mother! There you are!" came the sound of a new voice.

The owner thereof was a lovely young woman dressed in a fine style, much like the older couple who turned at her call. She wore a gorgeous, deep violet skirt that reached just past her knees and carried just a hint of red plaid, a smart, dove-gray jacket that could only have been so expertly tailored at Madame Couture's, dainty gloves that fit her slender fingers perfectly, and the a very darling, perky little dark purple hat with a single, golden-brown feather that danced with her every movement. At her throat could be seen the delicately lacy collar of her blouse and a gold locket with an elaborate, swirling "Z" upon it. As soon as her turquoise eyes met Link's tired blue ones, she smiled a very genuine, very friendly sort of smile.

"I thought I'd lost you," she said to her parents. "But then I figured Joel and Zill would drag you up here." She lowered her voice so that the boys would hopefully not hear. "Have you found anything for them?"

"No, dear. We couldn't get very far with—" the woman cut herself off again with another reprimand to her offspring. "Didn't I tell you two to stay off the counters?! Get down at once!" She turned to her husband. "I tell you, Gustaf, those boys will be the death of me!"

The gentleman sighed again; he was prepared to go over to the rascals with a lecture and a promise that they'd receive a severe punishment when they went home.

"Mumsie, Daddy, I know what to do. I'll take the boys around so they can look at everything and you two will have peace to hopefully find something they'll like. If they give me any ideas about what to give them, I'll be sure to let you know."

"Would you, sweetie? That is great relief to your mother and me!"

"Of course, Daddy! I promised to come along and help you, didn't I? My friends think I'm silly for agreeing to it, but I really do have to help you keep the little troublemakers in line!"

The aforementioned mischief makers exclaimed indignantly together, "Hey!"

She waved a kid glove—Link didn't know if she was waving to him, to her parents, or to all three of them—moved swiftly toward her little brothers and took each firmly by the hand. After wiping Zill's nose, she walked away with them, leaving their parents to do some serious shopping.

"Well, as I was saying before, we're looking for something very special for our blas—our little boys. Would you show us your best toys?"

Link pulled the catalogue from beneath the counter and flipped through the pages, automatically pointing out the store's most highly rated toys. Fortunately, he already knew the drill by heart, for his mind was not with his actions. He was thinking about the young lady who seemed, at least to him, to float in and out again with the delicacy of a fairy. He just could not cease thinking and wondering about her. He told himself that he would in all likelihood never see her again, but that did not stop him. He kept remembering how she had smiled so kindly at him. He couldn't be sure that she had actually waved to him before she left, but he was positive about the smile. She was very pretty too; her nutty brown hair fell almost to her shoulders in wonderful curls that bounced with every step of her fur-topped boots.

Somehow her little unspoken act of kindness had brought the merest fraction of warmth to his heart, which he hadn't even realized was cold and starved from love. He clung to the little bit of sweetness that her smile had left with him and cherished it. He was something of a different young man for the rest of the day. His smile had just a hint of being genuine as he helped the pretty girl's parents pick Rupin's famous, life-sized train for their two rapscallions. He wore it for the rest of that day and all of the next, harboring a secret hope that he would see her again.

However, by the dawn of the third day, the small sliver of hope that had broken through the darkness of his soul was again buried in the gloom. He aided customers without the relish of anticipation and everything was again bleak and colorless to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a story I wrote and published on FanFiction two years ago. Please enjoy!
> 
> The Legend of Zelda and all the characters of this story belong to Nintendo of course.


	2. In the Park

The morrow was Sunday and because it was the only day in which the department store was closed, Link had to find something to do that did not cost him money and which would take him away from his miserable flat. He started out by wandering the streets and hoping to find a few places he could slip in to warm himself. He spent a couple of hours at the cathedral but left in a hurry when the old custodian began heading in his direction.

After that, he wandered about again, the falling snow blowing about his legs, causing him to hug his threadbare coat closer to him. A couple of winters before, he had carefully sewn one of his blankets to the inside of the garment to prolong its life; the alteration made it awkwardly heavier and bulky but what did that matter when the most important thing was to keep warm? He kept his hands thrust into his pockets, for the gloves that he wore made poor protection for his frozen fingers; they were quite thin and had been mended so many times that they no longer fit properly.

The young man had brought just enough money with him to buy a bit of lunch. He stuffed the sandwich into his mouth in big bites; it was wonderful to have something warm in his stomach. In quite a meandering fashion he eventually drifted to Oracle Park and there walked aimlessly on the tree-canopied paths. He looked up, frowned and wished it was spring. At least then he wouldn't be so cold, the trees would be green again, and there wouldn't be all the constant reminders that he was alone in the world. He remembered when he was a child that one of his greatest joys of Christmas was when his grandma took him and his sister to the park in their little town to see the candles that turned the place into a wonderland.

Darkness was rapidly taking over the sky and still Link wandered without any goal in mind, hating the happy people who passed him, and immersed in self-pity. He did not see the little, red-cheeked boy who careened toward him from the side of the path. Closely following was a second boy, and both of them were hollering and yelling so much that a casual observer might have thought they were really being chased. They piled into the young man with such force that he went stumbling backward into the snow.

"Hey!" he cried. "Why don't you watch where you're going?!"

Before he could berate them further, light footsteps approached rapidly and a girl's breathless voice exclaimed, "Joel! Zill! I told you not to go running off like that!"

She reached down, pulled her little brothers off Link, and wiped the nose of the younger one; Link also picked himself up and hurriedly brushed the snow from his clothes. That was just fine! Getting wet was the last thing he needed!

"Oh, I recognize you!" she exclaimed with another of her little smiles. "You're the salesman I saw in the store! I certainly didn't think we'd bump into you here!"

An embarrassed Link nodded, feeling a bit light-headed. Perhaps it was the proximity of the pretty young lady, or the fact that his body was again demanding nourishment, or maybe he'd just stood up too quickly.

"I am very sorry about my little brothers. They are just unmanageable this time of year! I've a good mind to take them home right now."

"Nooooo!" bawled one of the small miscreants.

"You promised, Zellie! You promised you'd take us to see all the lights!"

"Only if you two were good!" she replied. "You didn't listen to me at all and you knocked down this nice man. That is not being good."

The little rascals wailed, hollered, and called their sister a few childish names, none of which moved the determined young lady. But Link had suddenly recalled again his own youthful fascination with everything Christmas and he had known much disappointment after his grandma died.

"Oh, let them have their fun," he said, quite suddenly and a bit grumpily.

The girl and her younger brothers' eyes were fixed upon him and he rather wished that he could sink into the ground. What exactly had possessed him to say that? The little boys were beginning to grin again through their tears and they looked beseechingly back at their sister.

"Well…" She drew the silence out, secretly enjoying the looks on their faces. "I suppose I'll give you another chance, but you have to behave yourselves!"

"We will, Zellie!" the mischief makers promised, too quickly.

They raced ahead before she could place any other inhibitions on them; she giggled and then looked into Link's eyes. She gave no indication of what she glimpsed therein, but her face grew softer and she extended a hand toward him.

"Wouldn't you like to come along?"

"W-What?" he stammered, as if he couldn't believe the invitation was meant for him.

"Would you like to come see the lights with us?"

"I can't. I would be imposing…"

"No, you wouldn't! I wouldn't ask you if I thought you'd be imposing. Come on; it will be so nice to have you along!"

Link felt very much like he was in a dream as he grasped her proffered hand and together they made haste to follow the boys. He wasn't sure what was happening anymore, but he was glad enough to let it go as it might.

The young lady giggled again. "I feel so silly! I didn't even ask you your name!"

"It's Link."

"Mine is Zelda," she replied with another of her fetching smiles. "I am very glad to meet you, Link!"

They were still walking, but she turned slightly and shook his hand cordially. The young fellow found himself wondering disbelievingly if she was actually talking to him, or if he could possibly be having a hallucination. He no longer seemed to notice the cold in his fingers and toes; instead, he felt warmth creeping over him, despite the drop in temperature with the coming of night.

"Actually, my full name is Zelda Harkinian. Maybe you've heard of my father? He's a businessman with his fingers in more industrial pies than you can imagine. He always says that if he had to put his own fingers in those pies he would not have nearly enough!" She tittered behind her hand. "Can you imagine my father putting his fingers in real pies?"

Link tried to create a mental image of the dapper, almost stiff-backed gentleman doing such a thing, but he simply couldn't complete the picture when it came to compelling those gloved digits into the sticky fruit filling. He shook his head slightly.

The girl giggled again. "Well, it's not actually something he would do, though he does enjoy our chef's pies. Those two brothers of mine, though! They would gladly dig their fingers into any pie and eat up it, leaving all the crust. They'd relish being so wicked!" She paused for breath and then picked up her thread of conversation again. "You know, Joel was born on Koholint Island. Daddy had some business to take care of there and he always likes to take us along so we can be together. The island is a paradise; at first I thought it was nasty because of the bugs and the humidity, but I got so bored that I started to explore. I've loved it ever since. When Joel was born, the birds and beach creatures and everything else didn't know what they were getting in for! As soon as he could crawl he would get away from his nanny every day and somehow he'd get down to the beach. Do you know what he did there?"

Her companion gave a shrug. "Uh, a crab bit him?"

"You're right about the crab, but it didn't hurt him. I don't think it got the chance. When his nanny found him, he had the crab in his hands and was banging the poor thing on a rock! That was only one of the things he did. And then, after Zill was born, the two of them got into more trouble than you could even imagine for two little boys! Zill was born in Hytopia because Daddy had more business to attend to there. I have a really good friend who lives there. We had a lot of fun doing the kinds of things girls do, you know, like doing each other's hair and listening to our favorite records, and talking about everything. Joel and Zill were always getting into trouble, though! One time when we were visiting Hytopia again they got into my friend Styla's makeup and painted themselves all over with lipstick, rouge, and mascara, and dusted their hair with powder! They were a mess! After their governess cleaned them up, Daddy gave them both a well-deserved spanking. It's just awful the things they get into!"

Link nodded, and just to be safe he took a glance at the aforementioned little troublemakers. They were happily enough chasing each other around the trees that bordered the path and fortunately weren't running into anyone.

"We've lived in a lot of places, actually. It's mostly because of my father's business, but Mother developed some health issues and we went to all the places that the doctors recommended. She finally had enough and told Daddy that she wanted to come back to our home in the city. So, we've been here for a few months and I think the boys are glad. They've never had so much fun at this time of year than they are now! We're just going to have a simple Christmas; we don't have any parties or anything because the work would be too much for Mother and the boys would surely ruin something. So, what about you, Link? How do you like to spend Christmas?"

"Uh… I… I don't really like Christmas. It's just another day."

"Oh, that's kind of sad. Didn't you have some nice Christmases when you were little?"

Link never talked about his life to others and was sure none would care if he did, but this girl was an exception. Her eyes were shining with obvious interest as she awaited his response. "Well, I was fond of it as a kid."

"Christmas is the time of year just made for children, don't you think? Take my brothers, now. They're hard enough to deal with during the other months, but now they are terrors! They are always getting new governesses because they pull such pranks and won't listen to what they're told. Mother and Dad are really tired of hearing the complaints and having to hire new help. That's the reason why we were all at the store the other day, because the last governess quit after they wrote their names in ink on every one of her blouses and skirts. Mother gets tired pretty easily—the boys really wear her out further—and Daddy is always pretty busy at the office, so I promised I'd help by taking them to different places this Christmas."

Very quietly and sincerely, the young man uttered a few words. "That's a great thing to do."

"You don't know how aggravating they can be, though! Sometimes I get so exasperated with their antics that I feel like I'm ready to scream! I want to do something wonderful, like learn how to fly a plane or save little hungry children or paint all the beautiful things in the world. Playing nursemaid to my devilish little brothers isn't what I had in mind. Daddy tries to comfort me by saying that I'm only nineteen and I have a lot of time to figure it out, but that doesn't help. I want to do something now! I guess I don't seem like the typical rich girl to you, hmm? Well, I won't waste my life going to silly parties and being nice to friends who are superficial at best. Perhaps it is because of all the wonderful places I've been to and the things I've seen that I want to get more out of life than losing myself in those stupid parties. I've been to a lot of islands in the Great Sea, to the famous mansion of Snowpeak and the farms of Faron and Ordon. I've been to Termina and seen the wonderful Carnival of Time; it was really beautiful, even if Zill got lost inside the clock tower and we spent hours trying to find him. I wish I could make something as beautiful as the Ocean King statue I saw once."

Link loved to hear Zelda talking about the things she had seen. His grandma had told him many not so dissimilar stories about her life and his grandfather, about how big the world was and how it should be experienced as much as possible. He wondered at the girl who walked beside him and silently willed her to keep going.

"Well, I've really been talking your ear off!" she exclaimed with another smile. "I should be polite and ask about you. I know you have a job at the department store. That's wonderful! If I had a job like that I think I'd learn a lot about people. When did you start working there?"

"I was sixteen."

"Really? Wow, you've been there for a while, haven't you?"

Link nodded. "Five years."

"That must take some dedication, especially around Christmas. People aren't always at their best when they're out shopping. Why, when we were at the store the other day, a big lady with about five bags on each arm jostled us and didn't stop to apologize. Then there was a man carrying a huge bear in his arms and he could hardly see where he was going. They were in a hurry though, so I can't really blame them much. All the bumping seems to be catching, because Joel and Zill crashed into you. I am really sorry about that."

The young man had no trouble in forming a sincere reply. "They didn't do any harm."

Meanwhile, the two boys had hardly improved on their behavior; they careened all across the path and beyond, making their usual racket and having the time of their lives. But when they were close to going too far, they caught the dangerous look in their sister's eye and immediately backed down. They were also very much in awe of their new companion. During the course of their little excursion, they often raced up to him and were suddenly so tongue tied they could hardly ask the many questions that just begged for the answering thereof.

When they came to the huge Christmas tree at the center of the park, a crowd of people kept the boys from seeing it completely. They turned their faces up to Link and turned on the beseeching eyes.

"Lift us up!" they chorused.

Zelda gazed downward at her brothers. "What am I always telling you two about saying 'please'? Polite little boys use please when they ask for something."

"Okay, then," amended Joel. "Please lift us, Mr. Link!"

And the young man found himself doing just that. The boys each received a turn sitting on his shoulders, where they had quite a clear view of the splendidly lit and decorated tree. Even then, the rascals weren't satisfied to just enjoy the view, but they still had to argue that one got to be on Link's shoulders longer than the other.

The four of them were getting frosty at the edges and Zelda decided to stop at a little shop that happened to be open. They crossed one of the busiest streets, between many honks of car horns and the occasional screeching of brakes. As they approached the door of the building that seemed to emanate warmth, Link stepped ahead and opened the door that his companion could enter first.

"Thank you," she said very graciously, with the smile that never seemed to leave her pink lips.

The warmth of the building and the gratification of those words hit him at once and he was actually beginning to smile when he suddenly remembered that he wasn't carrying any more money. He hadn't expected to need any more than what he'd spent on his lunch, and now he wished he'd slipped an few extra green rupees into his pocket,.

"Four of your biggest, warmest buns, please," Zelda requested of the swarthy man behind the counter.

"Aye, miss!" Several seconds later he pushed a bulging paper bag toward her. "'Ere you are!"

"Thank you." She gave him a couple of rupees and motioned for him to keep the change.

She gave one bun to each of her brothers, which they immediately began to snarf down, but when she proffered one to Link, he held up his hands and shook his head.

"No, no, I can't."

"Why not?"

He was already berating himself for causing the hurt look on her face, but his pride would not let him back down. "I can pay for that," he insisted.

"It's not charity, if that's what you mean. It's just… a friendly little gift. It's the least I can do after you've been so kind to my naughty little brothers and the way you let me talk your ear off."

"No, I can't…"

What was he doing? He had realized for some time that he was hungry from the exercise in the cold, and he couldn't remember how many rupees he had tucked away in his rat-infested room. His landladies would be at his neck as soon as he returned to pay the rent he owed them, if they hadn't been snooping in his flat again and found another of his hiding places.

Zelda was not satisfied with refusal. She pressed the bun into his hand and told him firmly, "Look, you have to take it. I could never divide it evenly into three portions for the boys and myself, and they would forever be arguing over who had the largest piece."

"Fine, then," he replied at last, but instead of eating it he secreted it into one of his pockets. He was too embarrassed to offer a word of thanks, but none were necessary when the girl looked into his eyes. He didn't speak again for some minutes and he seemed to have withdrawn into himself like a turtle pulls in its head.

She knew that her brothers were getting worn out and regretfully she said, "I think it's time we went home. Our chef gets mad when we're late for a meal. Link, thank you for coming with us today. I enjoyed it very, very much."

The sincerity of her words struck him deeply and he lifted his head to look at her. He did not make reply, but he preceded them from the shop and again held the door open. He watched them climb into an Epona cab, turned, and made for his apartment. It was many blocks away and he had to walk the distance, all the while thinking of a Sunday that was arguably the best he'd spent in a very long time.


	3. Substitute

As he entered his place of lodging, the back of Link's neck tickled with the sensation that someone was watching him. He spun around, but nothing he saw on the narrow, dirty streets was out of the ordinary. Oh, it was probably just the two old hags peering at him from behind their curtains. He made it up the stairs without either of them pouncing on him, and he knew what that meant; they had been in his room and had found the money he'd stashed in one of the holes in the wall. He sighed heavily as he wrenched open the door to his frigid apartment. At once he searched the hiding places and was only slightly relieved that the old witches hadn't found all his money. They'd never get their boney hands his precious little bank book though, for he always carried that on his person. They wouldn't be satisfied for long either; in the morning they would be after him for the remainder of what he owed them.

The young man had found some scrap wood earlier in the day, which he lit in his little stove. He consumed the bun that Zelda had given him while he waited for the fuel to catch, and then he fell wearily into bed. He was very cold and very tired, and he fell asleep in remarkably short time. That proved to be a grave error, which could have been fatal if he had not awakened to find that the blankets at the side of his mattress were on fire.

"What in the name of—!" he cried, forcibly torn from slumber and with madly pounding heart.

Link realized that he had let his blankets get too close to the stove and it was nothing short of a miracle that he hadn't been burned in his bed. He yanked them away and smothered the small flames with the other half of his bedclothes. The room stank so terribly that he opened the window a crack so that he could clear his lungs. The only problem was that the aperture would only sometimes cooperate with his attempts at hoisting it upward and would not stay up on its own when he did. Any prop that he used for it was always falling out or just plain disappearing. Shivering, he stood next to the window, breathing the fresh, cold air as long as he could and then he dashed back to bed.

The smell of smoke still lingered nastily and he was both too cold and too awake with adrenaline to fall into slumber again. He lay awake for some hours, making several trips to the window to clear the room; this time he used his head and wrapped himself in his blankets. During one of those exposures to the iciness of the night, he lifted his head and gazed up at a hole in the clouds through which several stars twinkled.

And suddenly he laughed in a half strangled way as he recalled with a jolt something that had happened when his grandmother was alive. He and his sister had been alone in their two-room hut while their grandmother went out to deliver a couple of her completed sewing jobs. The children were feeling down because money was scarce and they knew the coming Christmas was going to be very simple. The little girl had started to cry softly and in desperation Link had come up with the brilliant idea of making some cookies to surprise grandma. Neither knew much about baking or in the use of the very old stove that was the elderly lady's only heirloom, but they hadn't let such little things inconvenience them.

When their grandmother had returned home, she found them frantically endeavoring to shoo great wafts of smoke from the house, while the open oven belched more of it out by the second. She quickly closed the oven door and adjusted the flue. They spent the rest of the day airing the house in stages, but the whole hut smelled of smoke for months and months afterward. The dear old lady had been more disturbed that the two young ones had even seen her and their consciences prickled them mightily. She made them solemnly promise that they would never try to use the stove unless she had given them permission; it was a promise that they never forgot.

A tear splashed onto the scorched blankets as Link recalled that his grandma had somehow made that Christmas a special one, despite their distinct lack of resources. She was the kind of woman who could always weave a magical cloth from the poorest supplies. Finally, the young man drifted off, still tortured with thoughts of his loved ones.

To his consternation, he overslept the next morning and was a hair's breadth away from missing the last train that would get him to the store on time. He dreaded having to return to work; the pleasantries of the day before seemed very far away as he stumbled up the flights of stairs to Fairyland. He still had the memories of the night on his mind, and he found himself searching through the people who thronged the floor for a young girl with blonde pigtails. He did not see her, though; he never did when desperate hope got the better of him and made him pin his happiness on mere chance.

Calamity seemed to strike the store the next day when Batreaux ate some bad frog's legs at lunch (fortunately not in the store's tearoom) and was quite sick. Tingle decided that Link would be a good substitute Santa, to which the latter very sullenly complied. He knew he was going to be miserable before he'd spent even ten minutes hearing the children's Christmas letters. The white beard and wig itched madly, the red suit and necessary stuffing were much too warm, and he was getting a sore throat from trying to sound old and cheery. He really couldn't see the charm in viewing the long, self-satisfying lists that he had pushed into his face, nor did he find any of Batreaux's joy in making the little ones happy.

His insufferable charade went on for five days while Batreaux recuperated. On the afternoon of the fourth, he spotted a familiar young lady who seemed to be searching for someone or something. Was she looking for him? he wondered, with a little tug at the corner of his mouth. No, she was probably just looking for her little brothers. All the same, he paid even less attention to the children who crawled onto his lap and kept his other eye on the girl.

"Will you remember what I want for Christmas, Santa?"

The boyish voice sounded very near his ear and Link almost replied in the negative before he caught himself. He wished he dared tell off all the little brats who came by the thousands to sit on his lap. He legs were so tired! Some of the little ones who came to him weren't so little and certainly weren't as light as they looked! He'd just had his lunch break and there was no chance to get away for hours yet. He told himself that he wasn't going to watch the clock but he kept taking peeks at it anyway.

Much later, the line of children had finally thinned to almost nothing, many people had gone home for their evening meals, and the store was getting ready to close. Link hadn't seen Zelda again and his mood was dragging in the proverbial dust as he rid himself of the loathsome red suit and put on his sorry excuse of a coat.

"Hello, Link!" exclaimed a familiar voice as he shuffled out onto the sidewalk.

His head jerked up and his eyes settled on pretty Zelda, bundled in a very cute jacket with pom-poms, fur and peaked hood. She clasped her matching mittened hands and smiled.

"I couldn't find you at your counter, Link! Where were you?"

The young man scowled. "That's because I was Santa Claus."

"Oh my! I didn't think of that! What happened to the other Santa?"

"He got sick."

"Oh. That's too bad! He's improving, I hope?"

"Yes, he'll be back soon."

"Link, I'm sorry I didn't come to the store sooner. I meant to come after we spent that afternoon in the park, but my mother had a cold and we were worried it was turning into something worse. She's much better now though."

He didn't know why she was apologizing; she hadn't promised him anything or let him know she was coming back. He looked at her carefully and noted the sincerity with which she spoke; all the while her beautiful eyes never flickered from his face.

"I… I am glad that your mother is better," he said at last and felt an awkward fool.

"I'll be sure to tell her you said so. Say, would you like to get something warm to drink? There's a little café just down the street."

He agreed with a nod and he was heartened when he recalled that he had purposely slipped into his pocket all that was left of last week's rupees. His landladies were terribly cross after the little accident in his room and since then were always snooping therein while he was gone.

They entered the warm establishment, which was doing a fine business that frigid evening. Zelda was immediately attracted to the darling, tiny table in a corner by the big front window and there did they seat themselves. A harried waitress with a nametag that labeled her as 'Iza' took their orders and was quite some time in coming back.

Zelda often glanced out the window and giggled a little as she told her companion, "I love to sit somewhere cozy like this and watch the people hurry by. Isn't the snow beautiful? I love to watch that too. Nothing is so nice as watching those little flakes flutter down!"

There was something peaceful about watching the snow. It came down slowly and steadily and it seemed to Link so different from the rushed movement on the street.

"I don't like the crowds. They're always pushing and shoving and trying to beat each other to the stores."

"They do seem in an awful rush, don't they? I always think how much they're missing because they don't take the time to stop lift their heads to the snow."

Iza swooped over with their hot chocolate and a single doughnut. Link had been watching for her and before Zelda could open her purse, he plunked all but five of his rupees on the table.

The waitress fingered the money. "The first doughnut is free, sir. It's a special just for tonight."

Link wished he'd known that before he'd forked over nearly all his rupees. Well, he certainly couldn't very well take them back now; he'd seem the most miserly of skinflints.

"Oh, well, just keep the change," he said, with the briefest of glances at Iza.

"Hey, now! Thanks!" she grinned and scooped the green and blue gems into her apron pocket. "Let me know if you need anything else!"

Both young people sipped the hot chocolate slowly, both to keep from burning off their taste buds and to savor the warmth as it glided down their throats like warm honey. Link tried to make it last as long as he could, for he knew that he would be eating very little until he was paid again at the end of the next day. Between those delightful sips, Zelda kept up a line of chatter that Link again found himself listening with definite, though subdued interest.

"When Joel and Zill found out that I was going to the department store without them they were so upset!" she giggled. "Joel told me he'd die if he had to stay in the house and do his lessons. I felt sorry for them, though, so I promised to take them tomorrow. I could bring them over to say hello to you, too!"

"Please don't tell me they'll have Christmas lists!" Link groaned.

"Well, I would be surprised if they didn't. Even though Dad and Mother have bought them some really nice toys, they're always thinking of more things they want. They're terribly spoiled, I'm afraid." She shook her head and tried to appear mournful.

Somehow, Link didn't mind it so much if he had to endure a couple of those tedious lists when he knew she'd be standing nearby. He was very much looking forward to their visit the next day.

"Oh my goodness!" she cried, with a glance at her dainty timepiece. "We've been here well over an hour! Can you believe it? I've just been talking your ear off again!"

He hated for it to end, but he admitted that he should head for bed; after all, he had to head to work bright and early the next morning. They parted on the sidewalk outside the café and Link trooped wearily to his train stop, all the while happily recalling every moment of that wonderful hour.

Zelda kept her word; the next afternoon she appeared with her little brothers in the lengthy line of children waiting to see him. The substitute Santa passed through those who were in front of them with hurried glances at their lists and a quick promise that they would get everything that was coming to them. Some of the children left, feeling a bit miffed that good ol' St. Nick had hardly paid any attention to them.

"Me first!" shrieked Zill as soon as their turn came up.

"Nuh-uh!" retorted Joel, and they raced for it.

"Will you two stop running into me?!" grumbled the substitute in a muffled voice. "I'm only going to have one of you on my lap at a time. You're first, Zill."

He lifted the boy to his lap, who promptly stuck out his tongue at his older brother. Joel returned with a raspberry.

"Do you two want me to kick you out of here?" Link hissed in his own voice.

"No!" both boys exclaimed.

Zill plucked at the expanse of phony white facial hair and inquired, "Is that really you in there, Mr. Link?"

"Of course I am! Don't pull on the beard!"

"I didn't know you were Santa," said the other boy, who was leaning against his knee.

"Yeah, well the real Santa got sick so I had to take over for a little while. Now are you going to show me your list or not?"

Zelda was standing nearby and she could keep neither giggles nor smiles from escaping her lips as the young man in disguise stumbled over the many ink blots and atrocious spelling mistakes.

"What the h— What is this, Zill? 'Intmate cawclot'?!"

"It's im'tation clawshots," replied the little boy, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "So, do I get it for Christmas, huh Mr. Link, um, Santa?"

The substitute cast a very sneaky, very sideways glance at the young lady who stood a few feet away. She gave him a slight nod by way of confirmation and he responded to the query. "Yes. But you have to improve your spelling, Zill. There's no excuse for sloppiness."

When it was Joel's turn, he climbed eagerly to the red lap and announced, "I want a sword, Santa Link! A real one! All I have are wooden ones that don't cut grass."

Zelda looked rather worried, but the young man nipped the idea right in the bud. "Nope. It's too dangerous!"

"But I want one!"

"You'd better be careful, Joel," said Link, pulling a page from Zelda's book and relishing a little revenge. "Little boys who ask for too much get nothing."

The boy clamped his mouth shut and pouted. When he glanced over at the young lady, Link was most surprised to see her wink at him. It felt so good to tell at least these two children a little taste of their own medicine!

Their visit was over all too quickly; Link bid them goodbye in his very best old, jolly voice and was actually a bit sorry that it was his last day of being the substitute Santa. It was certainly not the last time he saw them, though, as Zelda often met him after work and on Sunday afternoons. On a few occasions she brought her brothers along, more because she felt the need to get them out of the house than she thought Link would enjoy their company, but he didn't complain and he actually seemed to warm up to them in his own peculiar way.

When they met she would often ask him what he'd like to do, if he wanted to go to one of the city's lovely parks, do a little window-shopping, or just take in some of the night sights. She did not suggest going to a restaurant or café again, but Link did when he felt that he could afford a little snack at a lunch counter, drugstore or any of the other many establishments that offered fairly cheap food to the public.

Gradually, Link told his new friend a bit more about his past. One time they went to the top of the Linebeck Tower and instead of casting their eyes downward to the city lights that stretched beyond the horizon in every direction, they were both trying to catch glimpses of the winking stars through the filmy clouds.

"Next to watching snow fall, I love to stargaze," the girl mused dreamily. "I can look up at the stars and think of another time and place that I was watching the exact same constellations with someone. Do you ever feel like that, Link?"

"Yes," he replied, in a tone so low that she could hardly hear him. "My grandmother would take my sister and me to the short wall on the outskirts of our town and we'd sit there and look at the stars. She knew all the constellations."

"Hmm… I've never sat upon a wall to stargaze. Hey, do you want to try it with this balcony right here?"

She pressed her hands on the cold stone and looked over the edge; she couldn't even see the streets below them, but she didn't let that stop her. She climbed right up and swung her legs over the side. Link looked after her with such wide eyes and open-mouthed amazement; he followed her example quickly, as if to keep her from doing something even more reckless.

"I can't believe I've never thought of doing this before!" she exclaimed, giddy from the height and the exhilarating new experience. "I won't forget this night."

Another time they were strolling still busy streets in an hour well past dark. Some people were already in their cozy homes getting ready for bed, but a number of others were still out on the streets. Zelda spotted an elderly lady who joined two young children in staring through a shop window. Both little ones were very excited, cast their soulful eyes to their grandmother and begged that she buy them the fabulous toy that caught their attention through the glass.

After they had walked by, Zelda murmured to her companion, "That was a darling scene, wasn't it? I wonder what their granny will do…" She glanced back and noticed that the gray-haired lady was slowly shaking her head.

Link was very quiet for several minutes as they crunched through old snow on the sidewalks. Then they turned onto a different street and drifted away from the hustle and bustle and noise. The girl could tell that something was on his mind but she didn't press it. They passed between the warm glow of the streetlamps and it was in one of those dark spots that he finally spoke.

"We never had enough money to buy fancy toys. My grandma could barely scrape together enough for the three of us, but she always made Christmas a special day for my sister and me. She made all our clothes and toys from the scraps left from her sewing jobs. One year I wanted a kite from the store, but because we hadn't the money she made one herself and gave it to me. My grandma, my sister and I sat by the fire on Christmas evening and tied little remnants of fabric to the tail of the kite. The next day we went out and practiced flying it. I was always sure it went higher than any other kites because of the love she put into it."

"That was wonderful! I think I love your grandmother!"

One evening, Zelda suggested that they take a shortcut across a cemetery. She began by rushing ahead with a backward cry of "Come on, Link!"

He couldn't just leave her, no matter how much he detested entering the place of the dead; at last he passed through the old gates with a shiver. Only when they had come safely to the other side did the girl cease her breathless run and notice that her companion was very pale.

"Link, are you all right?" she queried, worriedly.

"I don't like graveyards," he admitted. "They remind me of when my grandma died. My sister and I… were separated right after the funeral."

"Oh! I didn't think…!" she cried softly, looking at her hands miserably. "I'm sorry, Link."

Somehow, old fear didn't keep him in its grip as it used to. "Don't worry about it, Miss Zelda. I can't avoid graveyards all my life."

She gazed into his eyes and knew he was only trying to comfort her, for there was still pain behind his look of kindness. She took his hand and they began walking again. The girl averted her head to keep him from glimpsing her tears.

One day Zelda inadvertently saw his little bank book, too. They had returned to the same café that they'd first patronized, and each had a mug of hot chocolate and one doughnut between them. Link insisted on paying the bill again and in the process of trying to find the last rupee he knew he had on him, he wound up taking everything out of his pockets. Zelda noticed the miniscule book with the etching of a rupee on the front, which banks always gave to their customers.

Link finally found the last green rupee and gave all to the waitress. He noticed the girl's eye on the little item as he slid it safely back in its place in his inside pocket.

"I'm saving up," he told her. "I think I'll have enough in the new year."

"Would I be prying if I asked you what it's for?" she asked very quietly, noting that he was very careful in his action of putting it away.

"I am going to find my sister."


	4. Sacrifice

The young man didn't mind so much working in Fairyland, and he realized one day that he no longer grit his teeth at the mere thought of Christmas. Whether he knew it or not, hope had filled his lonely existence and his customary scowl was more and more often being inverted. The state of his wallet was no better than it had ever been, but he simply couldn't fret about it when he had much pleasanter thoughts on his mind.

He wished to give Zelda something special for Christmas and was quite perplexed; she was wealthy and had so many things already, while he was so poor that he could hardly keep himself fed and from freezing at night. He thought for days on end about his dilemma, and he finally came up with a solution that was quite within his means.

Just a few days before Christmas, the young man was working steadily to assist the flood of people who thronged to the store in ever-increasing bunches. Right after lunch, Batreaux, who was of the opinion that Link had made a marvelous substitute during his absence, asked him to take over as Santa Claus for a little while. More from force of habit than anything else, he answered the older man's request with a grumble.

"Yea, fine, I'll do it."

"Thank you, lad! I'll not forget this. You see, I promised to take my little niece on a very special tour and today is the only day that we can do it."

"Well, have fun." Though he said it sarcastically he actually meant it.

Link was secretly glad to don the itchy beard and overstuffed suit again because he knew that Zelda was going to bring her brothers to Fairyland again. He intended on surprising them with the news that he was Santa again, but he did not take into consideration the cleverness of the two little boys. They saw at once that he was not at his counter and upon approaching him they recognized him for his very blue eyes.

When it was their turn Joel climbed right up to his knee without the slightest hesitation. "Do you like socks?" he asked.

"Socks?" repeated a confused Link.

The small boy lifted his leg and exhibited a sock that had slipped down into his galoshes. "Do you like 'em? Zill and I can't stand them." That was one subject on which the brothers always agreed.

"Well, of course I like socks. I'd have cold feet otherwise. Is that what you want for Christmas now? Socks?"

Joel thought he was in earnest; he could not see the mischievous hint of a smile that pulled at the young man's lips. He exclaimed, "Nooo! I want a big boat that I can sail in the pond!"

"Hey! That was my idea!" cried Zill, as he wiped his nose with the sleeve of his coat. "I want a boat!"

After that session with the two incorrigible little boys, Link resigned himself to the long line that waited before him. There were a lot more than he'd expected, and not just because the holiday was so close. For years, the department store's owner allowed one orphanage or children's home to bring the little unfortunates to visit Santa and pick out one small toy. This year he had selected the Kokiri Orphan Home. Rupin always arranged the visit very near Christmas so that the more expensive toys would already be bought off the shelves.

Link's heart went out to the abandoned and parentless children who waited so expectantly to see him; he resolved right away that the least he could do for them was give them a few extra seconds, which was something he'd never dreamt of doing before. All the children wore similar colors and were all dressed very plainly. Some of them were laughing and cheerful, while others were sad or belligerent.

The last one of the group to come toward him was a shy little girl of about nine with a green kerchief over her head and whose skinny legs were scarcely covered by too-short dress and coat. She whispered her name so close to his ear that she tickled him. When he gazed into her eyes he glimpsed loneliness therein, which brought thoughts of his sister. Had anyone been kind to her these years that they'd been separated?

"What would you like for Christmas?" the substitute Santa asked, noting that she hadn't any sort of list, long or brief.

She was very quiet, moving her fingers back and forth in her lap.

"Come on, you can tell Santa. You do want something, don't you?"

She nodded earnestly and suddenly slipped her cold little fingers into his. "I want a family of my own. Can I have a family of my own for Christmas, Santa?"

Link closed his eyes and tried to calm the beating of his heart. She knew what it was like to be alone and lonely and without someone to love her. She was so young; she didn't deserve such a sad life!

He put a hand around her shoulder. "Somewhere in the city, someone is looking for a nice little girl just like you. They're probably searching for her right now so they can take her home and love her. So just you keep smiling and wait for them to find you."

Her small lips curved upward; she was such a cute girl when she smiled, Link reflected. She did not question his words in the slightest, but seemed to believe in them implicitly. He wondered at himself for telling her such things, but a strange sense came over him as he'd said it. He, too, believed that her young life was very soon going to make a change for the better.

"Are you happy in the home?" he asked. "Do they treat you all right and give you enough to eat?"

She nodded her head once again, her pretty blue eyes still shining. "Mrs. Blossom is really nice. Sometimes I'm still a little hungry but it's because there are so many children Mrs. Blossom has to feed."

"Did you know you get to pick a toy from the store to take as your own?"

"Really?" She clasped her hands and got a starry-eyed look on her sweet face. "Are you sure it's okay? I can just take one?"

"Absolutely." He did not tell her, as he did the others, that they had to select something small, something that they could easily carry with them. "The others are all picking out their gifts now. Would you like to go look for one for yourself now?"

She grinned by way of response and slid off his lap; he took her hand and they strolled around the crowded floor. She viewed everything with huge eyes and a very awed expression. Link pointed out many different toys to her and asked her if she would like one of them. He did not care if the thing she chose was expensive; he was determined that she should have whatever her little heart desired.

She stopped in front of a case containing many types of toy automobiles. "You want a car?" he asked. "Are you sure about that?"

The little girl nodded vigorously. "It's not too much, is it?" she inquired, half afraid that it was.

Link pulled one of the tiny vehicles from behind the display case and gave it to her. "It is a very inexpensive gift. I thought you might like something else, though. We have a lot of dolls here."

"No, no, I want this." She stood on her tiptoes and whispered, "Do you know why, Santa?"

He leaned down and she tickled his ear again. "I have a friend named Mido. He's sick today so he couldn't come. I promised to tell him everything that happened, too. He'll be so surprised when I give this to him!"

"You are a quite a girl, Saria," the young man muttered under his breath. He'd been wrong to classify all children as spoiled brats. There were some, like this little girl, who did not always think of themselves. "Would you like to have a ride on the train?" Batreaux had told him that the children were often allowed to take one ride during their visit.

Her eyes grew very wide and she murmured, "On the fancy train? Oh, Santa, you are so nice!"

With the little girl's hand once again tucked firmly into his own, the young man led the way to the wonderfully carved train. The other children saw what was happening and pushed forward so that they wouldn't miss out on the fun. Every one of them waved ecstatically to Link as they started off on the thrilling ride. He smiled through the white beard as he waved uncaringly back and bellowed, "Ho, ho, ho, ho!" He was actually, finally beginning to see why Batreaux loved his job so much.

Once the train had gone all around the store and come to a stop in front of Link, it was time for the children from the home to leave. The few adults who had brought them there began gathering them, but it was no easy task. There were a great many other young ones who wanted to ride the train; it was very crowded and the din of children's yells and the commands of older people filled the scene. One thing led to another and a shove at her side sent one little girl into the support of one of the white mountain displays, set up with many elfin dolls, small Christmas trees, and a great many toys.

At first no one realized that it was falling, but then Link saw it just starting to tumble and cried out, "Saria! Get out of there!"

So frozen with horror was she that she could only stare up at a lot of imitation glass, fake snow, artificial green limbs, ornaments and toys as it all came down about her. The young man darted forward and pulled her from the mess, but she didn't even seem to see him. Her blue eyes filled with tears and she trembled like the last leaf of autumn in a harsh winter wind.

"I broke it!" she wept. "I broke it! I didn't mean to, Santa! I didn't mean to!"

"It wasn't your fault," Link quietly assured her. "Don't cry. It'll be all right."

He hugged her and smoothed her hair, feeling like he was embracing his sister. Bedlam was all around them.

"Saria, the others are leaving. You'd better run and catch up with them. You don't want to get left behind!"

"I love you, Santa," she whispered, and placed a very wet kiss just below his eye, as that was the only area uncovered by the snowy beard.

No sooner had the group of straggly children left than a very red-faced Mr. Tingle waddled onto the scene. "What is going on here?!" He surveyed the damage with irately dancing eyes. "Who did this?! Who?! Was it one of those horrid orphans?! We'll never let them into the store again!"

"It was my fault."

The floor manager spun on tiny heel and fixed his beady eyes on the substitute Santa. "You did this?!" He glared very fiercely, his round little face jiggling with anger, but Link was not to be stared down. "Go to the locker room at once and take off that suit!" Tingle exclaimed with purpling face, but then he thought better of the order. "No, wait. We can't be without a Santa while Batreaux is gone! You will stay here until the store closes, and then you will come to Mr. Shad's office. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," replied the young man very stiffly.

Tingle oversaw the cleanup and then he marched away in high dudgeon. Link returned to Santa's throne, held children in his lap, and paid little attention to their lists. The joy on which he had been floating was pricked like the proverbial bubble. That familiar black mood was coming upon him again as he contemplated with dread what was going to happen after business hours were over.

It seemed as though that cruel mistress of fate had set her hand against him, for the consequences visited upon the young man were very serious. He received a severe dressing down from Mr. Rupin himself, while Tingle and Shad stood by, the former with a menacing half-grin and the latter with a frown. Link had to stand there and just take it. He responded quite coldly when the owner pressed him with questions fit more for a delinquent youth.

"I suppose you think these displays of ours are easy to set up?" Rupin demanded, gripping the side of his great desk with skinny fingers. "Do you suppose these things are cheap, mister?

"No, sir," replied Link through gritted teeth.

"This whole thing has probably chased good customers away, too! There's no telling what sales we might be losing because of your carelessness! You will pay this store for all the damage that you have caused."

"But I can't!" the young man exclaimed angrily. His hand automatically went to the little inside pocket wherein he kept the precious record of the rupees he'd saved. "You don't pay me enough as it is. I'm not rich like you are!"

Rupin stood up so quickly that his swivel chair shot back into the wall. "Enough! I have made my decision! If you do not have the funds I have no alternative but to take it from your wages."

Link's eyes flashed dangerously and he opened his mouth only to clamp it shut again. The other three men in the room had never known him to be violent, but at that moment, with his face contorted in rage and underlying despair, they couldn't be sure of what he might do.

"That will be all," said Rupin, his harsh little eyes barely visible between his flesh. "You may leave now."

The young man remained on the spot for a couple of seconds and then, without another word he left the room. No one heard the half-strangled sound that tore itself from his throat as he hurried out into the hall.

The owner sat heavily back in his chair, rubbing his thin hands together. "I've a good mind to let that troublemaker go. First with all that business earlier in the year and now this…"

"I wouldn't do that, sir," spoke quiet, red-headed Shad. "It would be rather hard on the fellow to be out of a job so close to Christmas. Plus, Tingle here tells me he made quite a decent substitute Santa when Batreaux was ill."

"You know I take your recommendations highly. Very well, he may stay for now, but if there's any more trouble, he goes."


	5. Shattered

Link slipped out one of the side entrances and walked the entire distance to his apartment. The little hopes that had grown within his soul during the past couple of weeks were dashed. There was no way he could survive on the few rupees he had in his pockets and whatever small pittance would be left after just one deduction from his wages. He had no idea how long it would take him to pay off the cost of the display. He had rent to pay—his landladies would be at his neck as soon as he arrived home—he had to eat, and he had to pay the cleaning bill for the two suits that he intermittently wore to work. Just a few days before, he had been telling Zelda that he almost had enough to begin the search for his sister, but that boat had sailed without him.

At the thought of his friend, he was even further depressed. She had been so very nice and cheery and was a wonderful friend. Perhaps she had been waiting for him in front of the store, as she had most nights; he felt bad for sneaking off as he did, but he was in such state of turmoil that he would not have been fit company for anyone. Instead, he kept walking at an extremely brisk pace, as if he could just stride straight out of his troubles. He would never recall any details of the streets on which he walked; the only things he could remember were the anguished thoughts that chased themselves in insane circles within his mind.

Even though the distraught young man reached his apartment building a good three hours later than was his custom, the two witches pounced on him before he could set one foot on the stairs. They were both wearing faded old wrappers and hideous, holey shawls.

"There you are, you slacker! Where have you been? At a party or somethin'?" shrieked one.

The other old crone yanked at his sleeve. "You owe us rent and none of your excuses! You owe us extra for the fire in your room, too!"

He pushed the boney hand away and in a dangerously quiet voice he replied, "I told you nothing was damaged but my own blankets. I will not pay you extra."

"You will or we'll have the law on you! That room smells awful and there's smoke all over the wall!"

"Pay us now or we'll throw you out. Just see if we don't!" Both old witches practically had their long, sharp noses in his chest and again had their claws in his arm.

"You can go to blazes!" Link suddenly exploded.

Roughly, he shoved aside their clutching hands and let the height of the building swallow him as he pelted up the stairs. The door of his flat shut behind him with a terrific bang that rattled the windowpanes; he wrathfully searched the tiny room for something to vent his rage upon. His choices were very limited, but when his eye fell upon the small stove, he marched right over and began to kick and punch it madly. The poor little stove could not stand the abuse; it ended up in pieces, while Link had some sore knuckles and stubbed toe. There was quite a lot of soot and ash upon the floor but he cared as much about it as if it were a speck of dust on the moon.

His anger had not abated; he went about his apartment viciously kicking anything that was within striking distance, mostly the walls. Finally, so utterly exhausted from the trying day, the long walk home and his angry passion, he collapsed on the bed and all but passed out.

There were only a few more days before Christmas, but a wretched Link took no more notice of that than he paid attention to the strange looks the other employees gave him the next day. His bad-tempered scowl had returned and was bigger than ever; he only just managed a neutral face when assisting customers. He was determined to walk to and from his apartment to save the money that the train would cost him, and his meals were very skimpy. He was, however, compelled to dig into his savings to pay the two old hags and keep them from nagging him to death. He continued to avoid Zelda after he was finished with work and was very short with her when she approached him during store hours.

"Link," she said on that first day after disaster had struck. "I missed you last night."

"Something came up," he replied curtly. "Is there anything I can get for you, miss?"

"But Link…"

"I'm sorry. If you're not going to buy anything right now I must ask that you step away from the counter. Others are waiting."

The girl simply could not understand why he was suddenly so different and treated her so coldly. She did as the young man requested, tears prickling at her eyes. She really did not want to break down in the middle of the huge store and thus she took refuge in the ladies' room. She had her little cry, but even before the tears had dried she was scolding herself.

Now is not the time to cry, even if Link is acting very strangely. Something must have happened and I know he won't tell me what it is. Well, I'm just going to have to find out by myself. That's it. I'll go around the store and ask the other employees if they know anything.

Feeling much better with the formulation of a plan, Zelda dabbed the tears from her eyes, made a quick adjustment to her makeup, and set out on her mission. Fairyland was a veritable madhouse, so she decided to start on another floor. Over the course of the day she spoke to a great many workers in that grand store, but most of them knew little about the unhappy young man.

Behind the cosmetics counter was a petite, blonde young woman hardly out of her teens who always wore the most colorful butterflies in her hair. When Zelda asked about Link, she raised one of her dainty eyebrows and asked, "Why do you want to know about him, miss?"

"He's a friend of mine. I know something is bothering him and he won't tell me a thing."

"Um-hum. He's like that, Link is. I don't know the details, but something happened on that floor yesterday. Something about one of the displays being wrecked. No one seems to know quite what happened and of course he won't say a word. The boss had him in his office for nearly an hour yesterday after we closed up."

"Do you think the regular Santa would know anything?" Zelda inquired hopefully.

"Batreaux? No, I don't think so. He was gone yesterday, you see, which is why Link was Santa again."

"Oh, that is too bad! Do you know of anyone else who might know?"

"The floor manager, Mr. Tingle, should know what happened. But I don't think you should talk to him. He doesn't like anyone to interfere in his handling of the toy department."

"Oh." Zelda looked down depreciatingly at her gloved fingers. She was really getting quite discouraged with her search.

"Would you like me to tell you something about him? About Link?"

"Please do. Anything might help."

"He'd probably be mad if he knew I was going to tell you this. Anyway, early in the year—right after the last Christmas season, in fact—we had some trouble. Many of the employees went on strike because they felt Mr. Rupin wasn't giving them fair wages. He really wasn't, you know, and we were tired of being treaded upon by customers and getting paid with dirt."

"Did Link go on strike, too?"

"He didn't at first—he is a dedicated man, you know. He's always staying after hours when they need someone for something extra and he's never been late since he started working here. Well, we convinced him to join us in the strike and I still regret my part in it to this day. It is very clear to me now that he just wanted to keep steadily at his job, but he joined us out of loyalty."

"That… That sounds like something he'd do," Zelda said very quietly.

"Uh-hum. Well, with many of the employees picketing the store's sidewalks and Mr. Rupin's house, this place looked like a graveyard. The boss wouldn't give in and neither would we. Mr. Rupin said that he'd just hire new people, but no one wanted to work surrounded by such tension, not to mention that the picket lines hardly let anyone get through. No one was getting anywhere and we were starting to hurt from lack of money, Link included. Everyone was getting very tired of the strike, but no one knew quite what to do and we wouldn't go back to work under the same conditions. Then, one day Link just marched right past the boss's flunkeys, secretaries and other personnel into the big private office; he made an excellent argument on behalf of all the employees, requesting that they be treated with more respect, that the store would do away with its little spying system, and that those who had been working there for several years would receive raises. They were closeted in Mr. Rupin's office for hours and hours and when they finally came out, Link told us we could go back to our jobs; the strike was over and the employee's terms had been met! We gave a great hurrah and partied for the rest of the day, but Link was nowhere to be seen."

The young woman showed her a few bottles of perfume, so as to give the impression that she was staying busy. As Zelda took whiffs of some of the most delightful ones, she murmured, "I have the feeling that there's something else you've not yet told me."

"I don't think anyone but Link and the higher-ups who were in the office that day knew about it. I am friends with the nice little secretary in Mr. Rupin's outer office; a few weeks after the strike was over she told me what she'd overhead on the day it was resolved. Rupin did grant the requests of the employees, but he was vengeful for all the trouble they'd caused him. He told Link that he would accept the proposal, but Link himself would not be included and he would receive a decrease in salary because of the part he had played in the upheaval."

"Oh my goodness!" Zelda whispered, bringing both gloved hands to her mouth.

The young woman behind the counter nodded morosely. "Of course he accepted it because the strike was over that day. He made that sacrifice so we could have what we wanted. I can never think of it without feeling ashamed that there is nothing I or any other employee here at the store can do about it. Link is very proud and he does not want any sort of sympathy."

The young lady who listened to the tale had tears of anger stinging her eyes. "Thank you so much for telling me about this. I think… I understand him a bit better now."

She was aware that she'd taken up nearly half an hour of the salesgirl's time, so she bought a very pretty bottle of her mother's favorite perfume. With a last word of gratitude, Zelda tucked the little package into her purse and again climbed the great, merrily festooned staircase up to Fairyland. She tried several times to catch Link's eye, but he seemed to purposely be avoiding any such contact, and he was quite preoccupied with hordes of customers.

The girl went around to the other employees on that floor and made a few innocent inquiries, but no one could tell her anything she didn't already know. She spoke briefly to Santa Batreaux while he was on a ten-minute break; he admitted that he was worried about the young man who had done him a good turn, but Link was as silent as the grave and had a look to match.

Finally, Zelda decided that she'd have to pick Mr. Tingle's brains. She waited until he emerged from his little office to make one of his customary rounds of the floor, whereupon she scuttled closer to him in a distracted fashion and bumped right into him.

"Ooooof!" the plump man exclaimed with a sudden exhalation.

They both sprawled on the floor; with one look at her Tingle knew she was the kind of customer the store could not afford to lose. He sprang to his feet and reached a clammy hand down to her.

"Are you all right, miss? I hope I haven't hurt you. Do you want to go to the infirmary and have the nurse take a look at you?"

"No, no," the young lady replied. "I'm quite all right. I'm really sorry; I'm afraid it was my fault that we bumped into each other. I simply wasn't looking where I was going. Aren't you the manager of this floor?"

"Yes, yes, that is me. Mr. Tingle, at your service, miss," he said most ingratiatingly, holding her arm while she rose and then carefully brushing away any dirt that may have found its way to her sleeve.

"Then you know a lot about the toys here, don't you? My brothers are simply wild about this place and all your magnificent toys. Perhaps you could show me around, Mr. Tingle?"

"It would be my pleasure, miss. Please, come right this way. Here we have these splendidly-made fairy dolls. You see the wings? They are handmade and very delicate."

"They are very pretty, but I don't think my brothers would be very interested in those. They like trains and cars and loud things."

"Of course, of course," Tingle said, rubbing his hands together nervously.

He exhibited the whole of Fairyland to her and before they were even half through she was thoroughly sick of his pompousness, but she tolerated him for the sake of getting information from him. She found her chance when they stopped and the man pointed up to the elaborate ceiling, the decorations that hung therefrom and the many fanciful toys that adorned various displays. She noticed with a keen eye that one of those displays looked a mite makeshift.

"Mr. Tingle, this one looks incomplete. Did something happen to it?"

Very briefly, the little man had quite an annoyed expression on his face. "There was an accident yesterday, miss, I'm sorry to say. But don't worry," he assured her just as quickly. "Nothing like that has ever happened before and the culprit is being properly punished."

"What do you mean, Mr. Tingle? He hasn't been fired, has he?"

He turned to her with a skeptical look in his eye. "How did you know it was one of the employees, miss?"

"Oh, I think I heard someone mention it," Zelda replied as nonchalantly as possible, realizing that she'd very nearly gone too far.

"The employees are not supposed to gossip about things like that. I can assure you, miss, that this is a very safe place for both children and adults. You need not worry about it."

"I wouldn't have thought otherwise, Mr. Tingle. I suppose the person who did this is paying for the damage?" she asked, in an offhand a manner as she could manage, for this was her last attempt at getting to the truth.

"Quite right, miss. Now, if you'll come this way I'll show you our very latest in playhouses. They were very popular last year and continue to do well this season."

Zelda was growing very annoyed with his constant, irksome presence by her side and desperate to get rid of him, she said, "Thank you so much for all your help, Mr. Tingle. I will bring my brothers here and find out from them what they want for Christmas. I know so much about this floor now and it's all thanks to you."

Reluctantly, the man bid her adieu and she breathed one huge sigh of relief. She felt quite worn out after the ordeal and decided to take a break in the store's elaborate tearoom while she determined her next course of action.


	6. No Way Out

Link had looked up once and seen Zelda being escorted around; he immediately turned his gaze again and was in such a sour mood that he told himself he did not care to wonder the reason behind her friendliness to the abrasive floor manager. He worked all through the day, without stopping for lunch, as he wanted desperately to save his money and hadn't brought any food with him. That day seemed one of the longest he'd ever spent and even when the store closed and he slipped out one of the side entrances, his ordeals weren't over. He was just turning up his coat collar in preparation for the very long walk home, when someone approached him.

"There you are, Link," came a young lady's gentle voice. "I was afraid I was going to miss you!"

He did not reply but only pulled down the frayed brim of his second-hand fedora and sullenly avoided looking at her.

"Um, Link, could we talk for a bit? Perhaps we could go to—"

Without giving her the courtesy of finishing her sentence, he muttered, "I have to go home," after which he turned on his heel and walked brusquely away from her.

"Link!" she called, her tone laced with distress.

The young man knew she would attempt to follow him; he walked with much celerity, and twisted and wound his path through the maze of streets. Even when he had lost her did he see her saddened face reimaged within his weary brain. He felt a no-good scoundrel because of the way he had treated a fine girl like Zelda, but his pride was too great. He did not want to have her see him in such depression.

That night as he was sleeping somewhat fitfully, Link suddenly awoke without really knowing why. He could see very little in the blackness that habitually pervaded his room, save for the streak of night lights that entered through a window he could not afford to cover with curtains. He blinked sleepily a couple of times and was ready to doze off again when he was struck with the very creepy sensation that someone was quietly breathing into the darkness next to him. He heard a very slight sound, hard to distinguish because of the usual city night noises that permeated the thin walls, and he suddenly sat bolt upright in his bed.

"Who's there?" he demanded.

There was no response. With much uneasiness, he recalled that he had laid his clothes on his one rickety chair beside the bed and he had left his precious bank book in a pocket of his coat. He fumbled in the darkness for the book of matches he kept nearby and struck one. No one was there. He grabbed for his coat, holding his breath in terror, which he let out in a rush when he felt the slight contours of the little item through the worn fabric. Just to be on the safe side, he pulled it out and placed it beneath his pillow.

When he awoke the next morning, however, he discovered that the ten rupees he'd also had in the side pocket of his trousers was missing. It was all the money he had to his name, save what which was in his bank account. He searched everywhere for it, dug into every pocket and carefully examined the lining in case it had slipped through a little hole, but it was no longer in his possession. Someone had been in his room during the night after all. He was sure he knew who the thief was, too, but instead of trying to confront his landladies, Link left the apartment some minutes early and stopped at the nearest police precinct station.

"I want to report a theft," he declared to the very bored looking, uniformed man at the front desk.

"Okay, what did you lose?"

"I did not lose it!" Link growled. "Someone came into my room last night and stole it!"

"You're going to have to tell me what 'it' is, buddy. If you're not going to tell me what it is, I can't help you," said the man; the placard on the desk said Sergeant Salvatore.

"I had ten rupees stolen from me and I know who did it."

"Ten rupees? Are you kidding me?! Do you know how much effort would go into finding this thief you're talking about? Ten rupees is nothing. Come back if you have at least fifty rupees missing."

"But that's just it! They've been stealing from me for some time now! They go into my room while I am at work and just take whatever they can find!"

"Who is doing this thing you say?"

"My landladies! The dirty, rotten old hags are stealing me blind!" Link cried, balling his fists.

"And do you have proof of this?"

"No, of course not! They're too sneaky for that!"

"Well, without proof there's really nothing we can do for you. If you want to press charges, you'd have to prove your accusation by catching them in the act or proving that they have something that belongs to you."

"You won't do anything to help me?" the young man asked very quietly.

"We can't, unless you come back with substantial evidence. We couldn't go arresting an innocent party on your say so."

"Innocent?!" he bellowed, striking the desk forcibly with his fists and following with several words that he only used when he was in the very worst of moods. The desk sergeant did not appreciate being spoken to in such a fashion and he all but threw him from the building.

Link slammed the door as hard as he could behind him and angrily began stomping the distance to the department store. The sky had not yet been touched by the blush of dawn; its darkness matched Link's demeanor. His thoughts toward that sergeant and the police in general were none too charitable and had they been voiced to a member of the force, the men in blue likely would have let him cool his heels in jail.

After reaching the store and getting ready for another busy day, the young man suddenly felt very light headed. He gripped the edge of counter to steady himself. For a few moments he wondered what was the matter with him, and then he remembered that he had hardly eaten anything the day before and had had no breakfast. He went to the men's room to splash cold water on his face and to get a drink.

Because the last of his rupees had disappeared in the night, he had no readily available money to buy food and he was desperately trying to avoid using any more of his savings. He had a very slim, even foolish hope that fate would favor him and something would come along to keep him from drawing further on his bank account, but as the day wore on he grew more and more tired, everything seemed to be fuzzy at the edges, and he had trouble concentrating. It came to be so bad that he could not stand it any longer and at last decided to withdraw some rupees after all. The only problem was that the banks closed well before he finished with work. At the realization he groaned and cut himself off midway because a lady and her little girl were heading straight for him.

It seemed as though the long day would never end. He glimpsed Zelda in Fairyland at one point during the day, but he quickly averted his gaze and was suddenly very busy straightening the toys on an immaculately ordered shelf. He hoped with all his heart that she would not take it into her mind to come over; he did not want her to see him looking so pale and tired and in such low spirits. His foul temper had abated somewhat, only because he was so exhausted. Had he glanced up a couple more times, he would have seen the girl looking most worriedly in his direction.

The day finally drew itself to a close and Link was faced with another long trek home. He exited the building by another way, but again the same voice called out to him.

"Link!"

He did not respond and kept walking away. He did not want to have another confrontation with her; he could not bear another look into her soulful eyes. Behind him came light, rushing footfalls as she hurried up to him.

Catching at his arm, she exclaimed in a low voice, "Link, I really want to talk to you. Please… It is very important!"

He tried to free the limb she clung to but found difficulty in so doing. "I can't. Not now," he mumbled. "I have to… go home…"

And suddenly she let go with a quick, angry motion. "You have too much pride, Link! You won't let anyone help you, will you?! You can't keep pushing people away like this!"

He replied not; he did not raise his eyes to meet hers and only shuffled away into the crowded city. She stared after him, tears again prickling at her eyes. As soon as the words had left her mouth she regretted them, but at the same time she had a small hope that they would cause him to wake up a little and realize that however cruel the world had been to him there were some people therein who cared about him. She looked down at her boot and scuffed it slightly in the tramped snow. Then she turned her gaze upward again and was of a mind to go after him, but he had disappeared into the crowd and into the night.

As Link walked, Zelda's words replayed themselves in nightmarish fashion in his mind. She was right, too, he thought. He was not the sort of person she should be friends with. He did not know why she bothered to talk to someone like him; he wasn't worth anyone's consideration.

The next morning he awoke with a stomach that pained him by twisting itself into knots. He rose from his bed too quickly and immediately fell back to it, his head swimming. Link moved about carefully, trying to keep all wasted motion to a minimum. A frightfully cold drink from the rusty bathroom faucet helped him to feel a little better, but he knew he would not be able to last another day of standing at his counter if he didn't get something to sustain himself.

As the young man slowly made his way down the long flights of narrow, creaking stairs, he heard or sensed the opening of a door at the bottom. Sure enough, the two old crones were craning their scrawny necks upward.

"Where's our rent?!" the elder sister demanded while he was still six steps up.

"You're not sneaking out on us again," the other one spat. "Pay up, you worthless boy!"

Link uttered the one thing that came to his weary mind. "You're not getting another rupee out of me."

He brushed past them with as much force as he could muster; when he was out on the street he leaned against the wall and let out the breath he'd been holding. How was he ever going to make the long walk to the store? He started off, taking very brief breaks every so often. The banks did not open until after the store did, and he was going to have to wait until lunch hour to withdraw the funds he needed.

Because it was the day before Christmas, the store was positively mobbed. If he'd thought it was bad a week ago, it was ten times worse on Christmas Eve; everyone was tearing around and there was such a din that it made Link's head ache. The customers were always in a hurry and were trying to fit a few days or a week's worth of shopping all in that one measly day, and the sales personnel were in a mad rush to serve everyone. Some of the employees remained at their counters during the lunch hour, which was something the young man would have done too, except for his urgent need for sustenance.

He withdrew the small sum of rupees he needed from the bank and entered the nearest establishment that offered food, which happened to be a drugstore. He ordered the largest sandwich with as many pickles, slices of ham, cheese, and tomatoes as could be stuffed into it. At one bite he was suddenly in heaven with the ecstasy of something solid in his mouth and sliding down his throat to a poor, empty stomach. He wolfed it down in a few heartbeats, dabbed up every last crumb and wondered whether or not he should get another when he noted the time. He plunked down the exact price of his sandwich on the counter and left in a great hurry.

Back at the store, the feeling of bliss over his assuaged hunger faded when the troubling thoughts pushed their way to the forefront of his mind again. He wished the day was already over and he could just go back to his dirty little apartment where no one could see his anguish. He waited on customers in dark-hearted daze, wishing terrible things upon them just so they'd leave him be, and every little blonde girl who appeared before him bore his sister's face.

"Hello, Mr. Link!" cried a familiar voice without much stature behind it.

The young man glanced up rather absently from his sales book and found two very round, very pink faces peering eagerly at him from just over the edge of the counter. His eyes drifted a bit higher; just behind the two small boys was their beautiful sister, who was gazing at him with a look that Link, in his tired bad temper and depression, could not decipher.

"Well, aren't you going to say 'hello'?" Zelda asked him kindly; with his guilty conscience Link imagined a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

"Oh, yes. Hello to you two boys, too. What can I get for you two today?"

The duo giggled and repeated none too quietly, "To, to, to!"

"You sound like a train, Zill," said the elder of the brothers.

"No, I don't! Trains go 'choo, choo, choo'. They're not the same!"

"Boys…" their sister said, warningly.

They quit arguing immediately, for they did not want to be pulled from the delights of the department store on its busiest of days. "Can I get a pair of stilts, Zellie?" asked Joel, for he and his brother had been amazed at a ten-foot-tall man who had been putting on a little show as they had first emerged into Fairyland.

"You're supposed to look for a gift for your cousin. You don't need stilts."

Zill pouted, "I don't want to."

Zelda knelt next to him and put a hand around each of his little shoulders. "Dear, think of how happy she'll be when she opens your present tomorrow. You can't just think of what you want. What do you think Beth would like?"

Both little ones thought very deeply. "Maybe she'd like a baseball glove?" Joel asked.

"No, I don't think so. Let us ask Link what he thinks, shall we? Maybe he'll have a good idea."

During the little discourse, the young man had turned away to aid another customer, but he'd heard every word that they said. Why did she have to bring them into the store today of all days? He didn't want to have to deal with these two hyper little boys even more so because he knew them and he did not like to exhibit his rotten temper before them. They seemed to hold him in high esteem, which only made his problem worse.

"Okay!" exclaimed Joel. He bounced up, and in a voice that would have carried to the other end of the room under less hectic circumstances, he exclaimed, "Mr. Link, what do you think our cousin would like? She's a girl!"

"A doll," he replied, without even having to think about it. He remembered how his sister had wished so hard for a doll one Christmas and their grandmother had worked extra hard to make a very beautiful one with her very hands. "Girls like dolls, right?"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Joel exclaimed, glad that the perplexing problem was no more. "Let's get her a doll, Zellie!"

"That's an excellent idea," said the girl, with a small smile gracing her lips. "Thank you, Link, for your suggestion. The boys are spending their allowance on this, so could we see some of the simpler dolls?"

It turned out that the brothers were terrible at picking out a gift for someone else. When the young man brought forward several smallish dolls that couldn't talk, walk, drink water, or be given permanents, both Zill and Joel looked upon them with some disgust. Why would anyone want something as silly and frivolous as a doll?!

"Well, Joel? Zill? Which one do you want? I don't have all day!" Link declared, tapping an impatient finger on the counter.

"Are you sure we shouldn't get her a baseball glove?" the elder one asked plaintively. "These dolls are dumb!"

"Why, she'd love to have one of these, boys!" their sister assured them. "Would you like me to pick out one?"

They nodded, glad to give the tiresome task to another. Zelda selected one with a demure little painted face, short, straight black hair, and pretty purple dress trimmed at the edges with lace. The young salesman wrapped it up and the two little boys dug reluctantly into their pockets for their rupees. Upon seeing the green and blue collection of gems upon the counter, Link was suddenly reminded of his own troubles with money; when he paid for something the only rupees he had were of the small denomination that a child might have. He snatched them up irritably and all but mashed them into the rupee register.

"Can we go visit Santa again, Zellie?" the younger child implored.

"I want to ride on the train!" Joel added vociferously.

Their sister sighed. "Aren't you going to say goodbye to Link?"

"Oh, okay. Goodbye, Mr. Link!"

But the young man had already turned away to aid another rushed customer and there were so many more jostling at their elbows. Zelda sighed again; she knew he was too busy to pay attention to them right now, but she had the feeling that even if he wasn't he'd find some reason to ignore them.

"Of course," she replied, taking her brothers' hands to keep them from running amok. "First we'll go see Santa, and then you can ride the train."

The afternoon seemed to torture Link by making each second ten times longer than it should have been. The shoppers kept coming and coming in what seemed to be a never-ending tide of the last-minute rush. He was too busily engaged to take notice of anything else that occurred on the floor, so he did not know why he glanced up at that one moment, seeing something that one second made his blood freeze and the next made it boil.

Joel and Zill had somehow found one of the store's maintenance ladders, had dragged it across the floor and set it up against one of the pillars of Fairyland. Hanging very high up on that pillar, like all the others, was an assortment of decorations and small toys that were actually quite beguiling to the two boys. Joel was nearly at the top of the ladder and stretching for something he couldn't possibly reach. If anyone noticed the two little mischief makers, they either seemed to think it was a stunt or were too busy with their own cares to do anything about it.

However, Link knew at once that they were up to no good and this time if they weren't careful they could very well be hurt in such shenanigans. In a few angry strides he was upon Zill, who was just starting to climb the ladder, for he couldn't let his brother have all the climbing fun, could he?

The little boy jumped as the young man seized him by the shoulders and shook him a few times. "What do you think you're doing?!" he exclaimed, and Zill was very afraid. He had never seen Link so angry before!

"W-We're j-just c-climb-ing!" he wailed and was soon crying.

But Link showed no signs of letting off yet; his eyes were aflame with all the frustration that had been simmering within. "You wicked little boys! Do you know what trouble you could cause with your foolish actions?!" He cast his withering gaze up at the miscreant on the ladder and commanded, "You get down here right now!"

Joel looked down with sudden terror and it wasn't just because of the young man's furiousness, but he suddenly realized just how high he had climbed. The wood beneath his fingers was his only link to the ground and he clutched at the sides of it in a death grip.

"Did you hear me?!" the young salesman shouted irascibly. "Get down here this instant, you little brat!"

"I-I-I c-can't! I'm s-scared!"

"Very well, then! I shall just have to bring you down!"

With that, Link mounted the rungs toward the shaking boy; Joel didn't know whether to be more scared of his elevation above the ground, or the very angry person who climbed rapidly toward him. He still hugged the ladder with all his might when the young man reached him and tried to pry him loose.

"Let go! Joel, let go! I've got you!" said the nearby voice, slightly gentler than before. He was no less angry, but he had realized as he climbed what a frightening situation it had to be for the child; he did, however, have the fullest intention of giving the rascal a very large piece of his mind when they reached the ground.

Link seemed to swallow his tongue when he suddenly felt the ladder move unsteadily beneath his feet. He would never quite know if it was because of his struggle with the petrified boy or if someone down below had jostled the leaning ladder; he had only just managed to loosen Joel's grip and take him in his arms when it began to topple. The floor came up to meet him all too quickly and in a split second he glimpsed many faces tilted up in his direction; he twisted desperately so that the little boy would be on top of him.


	7. Picking up the Pieces

What seemed like just a few seconds later, Link slowly and painfully came to. Why did his head throb so? he wondered, attempting to focus on a fuzzy world. Resting against that terribly aching spot was something cold and somewhat lumpy. He groaned and tried to sit up, but a large hand gently pushed him back down.

"You just lie back, young man," said a deep, masculine voice. "Take it easy, now. You got quite a whack on the head."

He groaned but did not try to rise again, for his had felt incredibly dizzy when he did. At least he could see a bit better and he could make out the tall man with quite tanned skin and dark hair who stood over him. He looked rather fierce with a little scar in one eyebrow, but he actually had a very gentle manner. His clothes seemed to depict him as someone who lived in the western part of the land.

Speaking very calmly and quietly, the brown-eyed man inquired, "Can you answer a few questions? What is your name?"

"My name?" Was this man playing a joke on him? Of course he knew his name! "It's Link."

"What day is it?"

"December 24th."

"What time is it?"

"It's almost four, I think."

"Close enough. Where do you work?"

"Rupin's Department Store."

"Do you know where you are?"

"Am I still at the store? Oh, wait… This is the infirmary, isn't it? What happened to me?" Link gingerly put a hand to the left side of his skull. "Urgh! My head aches…"

"I'd be surprised if it didn't! You took quite a fall, young man."

"A… fall? How did I… fall?"

"Well, I wouldn't expect you to know. What is the last thing you remember?"

Link had to reflect upon that carefully, for he actually wasn't sure what he was doing just short time before. "I think… the last thing I can remember was being at my counter… My counter!" He sat up woozily again. "I have to go back to work! I'll be fired…"

"Back to work? I should say not! You're staying right here, young man." The big brown hand pushed him down once more. "You are in no shape to do anything else today."

"But I have to," Link protested feebly, struggling to stay upright. "It's very important! I'll be fired!"

"Nothing is as important right now as getting some rest and no one is going to fire you. Now, are you going to lie back and listen to what I tell you?"

Link complied reluctantly. Truth be told, he felt too weak, dizzy, and utterly miserable to get up and return to his duties. "What happened to me?"

"Do you remember the two little boys playing with the ladder?"

"Joel and Zill?"

"Yes, I believe those are their names. From all I can gather, the ladder fell while you were trying to bring one of them down. You broke the boy's fall and saved him from injury. He is shaken up but he's quite unharmed."

"That's… That's good…" Link mumbled, rather despondently.

"You don't remember anything about what I just told you?"

"I think I do remember the ladder. I… was trying to get Joel down because it was dangerous. I don't remember falling, though."

"That's to be expected. There is always a span of time that you cannot remember directly before a period of unconsciousness. You were only out for a few minutes so it was a very small blackout."

A knock sounded; for the first time Link realized that someone else was in the room when the infirmary nurse hastened to and opened the door. Since he was not in a position that he could easily see in that direction, all he could do was listen to a few hushed words that he couldn't quite make out through the pain in his head. The voice was familiar to him, though; he wished desperately that she'd go away and let him suffer alone.

Zelda had been waiting outside, careening wildly from concern for her friend, to anger at her little brothers, and back to the distressing thoughts of Link and how he lay, so still and white of face, after his fall. The doctor, who was just another customer looking for a gift for his daughter when he was summoned to the scene of the accident, told her to wait outside while he tended to the unconscious young man. Finally unable to contain her worries, she knocked upon the door.

"Is he awake?" she queried, in a voice that simply wouldn't stop trembling.

"Yes," the nurse replied and turned to the doctor for permission.

"Come in, please," the latter said, nodding in her direction. "He is awake and he will be fine so don't worry yourself, little lady."

She drew closer and gave a little cry as she came to her friend's side. "Oh, Link! I-I was so worried about you! I am so sorry about my little brothers. They were supposed to be on the train and I left them for just a few minutes… I am so sorry I've caused you all this trouble!"

Link finally turned his head so that he could see her and he immediately felt like a cad; she was crying, the tears falling onto his long sleeve. "It isn't your fault. I should have known better," he mumbled.

The doctor arose; both he and the nurse made a move to leave the room. "I'll be back to check on you in a little bit. My orders are to rest, understand?"

The young man returned very gloomily, "Yes, sir."

After they left, a couple of minutes of silence followed, until— "Link, why have you been avoiding me? Does it have anything to do with the broken display? Please talk to me, Link. You are my friend! You cannot shut me out like this!"

"I… I don't want to shut you out. You're… You're too nice to bother with someone like me. What do you see in me? I am not a nice person."

The girl murmured, "How can you say that?! You're mu—"

"You don't know me, Zelda."

She started and looking into his eyes; it was the first time he had called her by just her first name.

"I am always bad tempered. No one has cared about me since my grandmother died. I went through five years of hell and even after I ran away, my life hasn't been much better. You do not want to know me!"

She looked down at his hand, which was balled into a tight fist. She pulled off her glove and slipped her own hand around his. She told him, very firmly and gently, "But I do want to know you, Link. You are the kindest man I have ever met, and believe me, I have had the displeasure of meeting a lot of jerks! Remember that afternoon in the park? You didn't even really know us, but you listened to everything I told you like it was the most important thing in the world and you were just like a big brother to Joel and Zill. When we went to the café a few days afterward and later, you insisted on paying for our order, and I knew you could hardly spare the money. You were always a gentleman, even if you don't realize it. You are the very definition of a friend!"

He closed his eyes and put his left hand against the ice bag on his head. Was it his imagination that it didn't seem to throb with quite the same angry pulse that it had before?

Zelda squeezed his hand. "So, no more of this business of avoiding me, okay? I am going to be your friend whether you like it or not!" she declared, tears in her eyes and a smile upon her lips.

Link raised his lids once more. "Okay," he echoed, a little hint of a smile creeping to his mouth, too. She beamed outright when he returned her press of the hand.

They remained there, Link on the infirmary cot and Zelda sitting next to him. He spoke hardly at all but did not mind at all that she chattered to him about more light-hearted subjects.

"Do you know what those two rascally brothers of mine did this morning? They decided it would be fun to race each other, but not through the halls or out in the yard like normal little boys. They raced each other down the stairs—on the banisters! It mightn't have been so bad if the maid hadn't been passing by with an armful of cleaning supplies. It was really a mess and Mother was really upset and angry when she learned of it. She gave them quite a scolding and sent them to their nursery without lunch. Even then they didn't stop getting into trouble. They started tearing off the wallpaper because they were looking for a secret passageway! That's why I ended up bringing them here, and they really did need a gift to give to our young cousin."

"And they still didn't stop getting into trouble," he mumbled, starting to roll his eyes, but finding that it made his headache worse.

"I am so sorry about that, Link. I'll never forgive myself for not keeping both eyes on them! I should have known better, after all. I mean, I know how naughty they can be…"

She was getting that woebegone look in her eyes again, but Link couldn't bear to see it on her, regardless of how he felt about the miscreants. He pressed her hand again. "Don't worry, Zelda. I'll be fine. I'm just glad that Joel is okay."

Two perfect tears slowly emerged from the corners of her empathetically shining eyes. She returned the squeeze and leaned nearer to whisper, "You are quite a guy, Link."

After about half an hour, the doctor returned. "Looks like you're doing just fine," he said, and though there was no smile upon his lips his tone bore one. "You can go home now, young man. You may have a concussion, so I want you to take it easy for a while. You should get lots of rest, but for the first twenty four hours have someone wake you every few hours or so to make sure you're doing all right."

"I don't have anyone," Link responded in a very low voice.

"That's not a problem," Zelda interrupted. "You're coming home with me. We'll take care of him, doctor."

"No, no, I can't," the young man faltered. "I would definitely be imposing upon you…"

"Link, I've seen where you live and it's no place for you to rest and recuperate. No, you are coming home with me and the boys. No ifs, ands, or buts."

With such an aching head and being so exhausted, the young man could put up no fight. He nodded his acquiescence and rather absently straightened the tie that someone had loosened while he was unconscious. He slipped his arms into his coat, which the nurse that silently brought in and held for him.

The doctor whispered aside to Zelda, "Make sure he gets plenty of nourishment. That boy is half-starved!"

She looked very pained. "Oh, I shall! I shall. Thank you, doctor, for everything."

"Never mind that. You just get that fine young man back on his feet, you hear?" He pressed her hand; she glanced up at him and nodded.

Upon standing, Link swayed and put out a hand to steady himself; Zelda gave a little cry of concern and was at his side in an instant, but it was the doctor who took the young man's arm in his strong hand.

"I can walk by myself," said the patient, a mite testily.

"I never doubted that for a minute," responded the big man, without letting loose his grip. "I am just going to make sure you make it safely downstairs to a cab."

Zill and Joel, who had been waiting on a bench just outside the infirmary in a very subdued manner, jumped to their feet at the opening of the door and the emergence of the three persons. With the tears of remorse and fright still wet in their eyes, they scurried to their sister and grabbed her about the waist; they gazed up with near shyness at the very worn-out young man.

"We're sorry for being so naughty, Mr. Link!" Joel blurted out nervously. "Are you going to be okay?"

The recipient of the apology certainly hadn't the energy to be angry anymore. "Sure, Joel. I'm fine."

Zelda hadn't expressed the last of her ire toward them, but the rascals really were upset and the rest of it could wait till later. "Come on, you two," she said. "We're going home."

"Is M-Mr. Link coming with us?" the other little boy sniffled.

"Yes, Zill, he is. Come along now."

Taking one small hand in each of her own, Zelda marched after the two men. The little procession received several stares from the many people who still filled the store. Link could feel those looks as if they were boring through his skin and he hated it. He settled his chin further into the collar of his coat and wished the floor would swallow him.

Once they were out on the street, the doctor summoned a cab and made sure that all four of them were comfortably settled inside. Zelda was the last one and before she climbed in she turned around and squeezed the hand of the large, tanned man who stood on the sidewalk.

"Thank you so much, doctor!" she said softly and then stepped into the spacious back of the Epona cab.

The dark-haired man shut the door firmly and as the vehicle pulled away from the curb, he gave a single wave of his thick hand.

Link had never ridden in a taxi before; ever since he had moved to the city he had been much too poor to afford that mode of transportation. It was certainly better than riding on the stuffy, smelly, crowded old train! He gingerly put his head back on the seat and closed his weary eyes. He really didn't know what to think of Zelda's insistence that he go home with her; it had been a long time since anyone had evinced such concern and kindness toward him and it made him feel irritable and warm at the same time. He just hoped he wouldn't be a big bother to her or her family.

He heard movement to his side and a small voice whispered, "Zellie, is he asleep?"

The young man opened his eyes and lowered his head to the boy who spoke. "No, I'm not."

"Oh, okay. So why are you coming to our house? Why? Why? I want to know."

Link sighed. "Why don't you ask your sister? It was her idea."

Two wee pairs of eyes fixed themselves on Zelda, but hers were upon her friend as she replied. "It's like I told you before, Link, I saw where you live—I followed you one night when we parted ways. That is no place to regain your strength! It's the least we can do after you saved my little brother from a nasty fall!"

"Won't your parents object to you bringing in a perfect stranger?"

The girl smiled in a way that was half roguish. "Not at all! You see, I've told them about our little excursions into the city and they did meet you that one day in the store. I think they like you well enough because they gave me permission to ask you over for Christmas, though I didn't know how I was going get past that pride of yours."

"We helped you, didn't we, Zellie?!" Zill exclaimed, and Joel wore the grin of a miscreant.

She brought smoldering eyes to bear upon them. "You were very, very naughty little boys for climbing that ladder and Dad will find some way to properly punish you, but…" The girl turned her gaze back to her friend and smiled warmly. "…you did accomplish something after all."

Link was no more prepared for his first look at the mansion in which Zelda and her family lived than he had been for the fall he'd taken. The magnificent place was situated near the outskirts of the city and was larger than the young man could ever have imagined. The grounds in the front and to the side of the house were very neat, for all he could tell through the snow that covered them. The building itself was a marvelous feat of architecture; there were broad white pillars, immense porches and patios, balconies, swirling lattice work, and a little tower room at the back. The sun had since made its descent and he might have expected some difficulty in seeing clearly through the darkness, but a great many lights cast warm yellow pools across the perfect snow.

He probably could have stared at it for much longer, except Zelda pulled at his arm and he had to climb out of the cab. As she took his hand and accompanied him toward the side door, he continued to gaze upon all with awe.

"This is your house?" he managed at last.

"Uhm-hm. This is home!"

"It's a darn palace!"

Joel and Zill had already run ahead and opened the door which was so grand for all that it was not at the front of the house. Zelda and Link followed through the carefully shoveled walk and were soon enveloped in the welcoming warmth of the house. The young man nearly jumped out of his skin when a silent-footed gentleman in an immaculate black tailcoat and trousers, seemed to just appear next to them.

"Let me take your coat, Miss Zelda, and yours, young sir. Your hat, also." came the subdued voice of that faithful servant.

"Oh, Techer, this is Link; he shall be staying with us over Christmas. Link, this is our butler, Mr. Techer."

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Master Link. I shall go right away and see that one of the guest rooms is prepared. Miss Zelda, your parents await you in the library."

"Thank you, Techer."

Again, the girl took Link's hand and led him through huge, fantastic halls through which he would have instantly been lost, until they reached one set of doors that had been thrown open and sounds of excited voices emanated from the room therein. The young man suddenly quailed and resisted when Zelda tried to draw him through the portal. What in the name of Hyrule was he doing? His tired mind told him he did not belong in a place like that.

"I-I can't!" he whispered. "I can't do this!"

"Don't worry, Link! I promise they won't bite. Mother really is wonderful and even if Dad can be a bit frightening sometimes, I know they're going to love you!"

She hooked her fingers firmly around his and pulled him in. The worry was making his headache worse and he felt exactly as he had when he was first hired as errand boy at the department store. Zelda left him briefly when they were just a few feet from her parents. She leaned over to hug her mother, who was neatly seated on one of the sofas near the fireplace and gazing upon Link with what seemed a particularly scrutinizing glance. The girl also hugged her father, who has risen at their approach, and then she went back to her friend, who felt quite alone and about as small as bug upon their fine carpet.

"Mother, Father, this is Link," Zelda announced, with another of her beguilingly sweet smiles.

He couldn't have uttered a word if his life depended upon it; he knew both parents were examining him most carefully and he was so sure that he could not measure up to their expectations that he felt rather sick to his stomach. He could not decide where to rest his eyes and they darted back and forth between the couple and their daughter.

The lady of the house, Giselda, noted after her first scrutiny that this young man seemed none too well and swayed a little as he stood mashing his fingers together. "Won't you sit down, Link?"

Most gratefully did he sink into the luxurious cushions at one end of the couch; he was still so tongue-tied that he couldn't make his mouth move, even for a word of thanks. The lady was on the opposite sofa and her husband took a seat next to him, while Zelda perched herself on the arm near the two men. Zill and Joel were playing with their toy cars in apparent innocence near the fireplace. Link himself was still on edge, but the warmth of the room was making him sleepy and rapidly bringing down his defenses.

"Well, Link, I'm sure the store was a madhouse today," Gustaf said.

The young man nodded mutely.

Sotto voce, the rich businessman added, "Would you like a little snort of brandy? You look all done in!" His wife heard him anyway and glared at him, but he just pretended not to notice.

Finally Link found his voice. "N-No, no thank you, sir."

"Mother, Dad, you won't believe what those two little boys did today!"

The lady of the house moved her piercing gaze from her husband to her sons. "What did they do now? Please don't tell me they slid down those banisters too and wrecked something?!"

"Well, no, it wasn't quite that bad. I told them they could have one ride on the train and I really should have kept my eye on them, but they climbed off the train while it was still moving. They found a ladder and were trying to climb it to get to some decorations. Then Link saw what they were doing and he climbed up to get Joel, who was too frightened to come down on his own. The ladder fell beneath them, but he protected Joel. Link hit his head pretty hard and the doctor says he might have a concussion."

"Oh my goodness!" her mother exclaimed.

"They did what?!" the businessman exclaimed, quickly rising to his feet.

The two small subjects of his ire knew exactly what was going on and it seemed as though they could not take their eyes from the elaborate pattern of the carpet. Their innocent act was clearly not working.

Zelda continued. "The doctor also said that Link needs someone nearby to make sure he's not getting any worse, so I brought him home. Since you said we could have him here for Christmas I didn't think you'd mind."

Gustaf's next words to Link were very sincere and fatherly. "Young man, my wife and I are indebted to you for keeping our sons from harm. Rest assured they will not go unpunished." He cast a particularly meaningful gaze back toward his boys; they gulped and wished for once that they were in bed. "Meanwhile, you are most welcome in our home."

"Th-Thank you, sir… And to you also, madam…" faltered the young man, inclining his head toward his hostess.

He was so drained that he didn't really hear much of went on around him. He felt like he had fallen asleep and was having a most wonderful dream, but that he'd wake up any moment and find himself in his dreary, cold little apartment. The only thing that did not coincide with said flat was the warmth that enveloped him like his mother's embrace of long ago. He was actually starting to doze off there on the sofa when he noted movement around him.

"Link, come one. We're going to take you to your room," came Zelda's voice in his ear.

He blinked a few times and rose unsteadily to follow the two ladies to the guest room prepared for him. The halls and grand staircase passed by in something of a blur and in a matter of minutes he found himself in another room—could it possibly, actually be a bedroom?! It was so huge! They left him temporarily in the care of Techer, who produced a pair of warm, cotton pajamas and showed him where the bathroom was.

After he was changed, Link stared dumbly at the enormous four-poster that stood before him. The butler returned and inquired most politely, "Is something wrong with the bed, Master Link?"

"It's… It's huge!"

"I suppose it is, sir. It's just as comfortable as any other bed, I assure you. The sheets are warm, so I am sure you will find it most satisfactory."

Link still stood and gaped. Was he really supposed to sleep in that?!

"Are you in need of assistance, sir?"

The young man came back to himself and responded with some scorn, "No, thank you. I can manage."

"Very good, sir."

A few minutes later, when Link had finally settled into the wonderfully warm sheets and actually took delight in sleepily wiggling his toes beneath the covers, a knock sounded at the door and Zelda entered. Following her was a maid who bore a covered tray.

"I figured you were hungry, so I asked Gillian to make up a nice little meal," the young lady said, and directed the maid to place it on the bed.

Food was something he could not pass up; while his friend sat in a chair by the side of the bed, Link consumed every edible thing on that tray. Zelda chattered and watched him with eyes that were so glad they were moist.

When he was finished he lay drowsily back on the pillow and said, "You and your family have been so kind to me… I don't deserve this…"

"Of course you do, Link!" Zelda exclaimed, and then lowered her voice. "You deserve every bit of it for all the sacrifices you've made for others. Yes, I know about what you did when the employees went on strike. You've given so much to others, Link! It's time that you received something in return! I… I told my parents all about it. Don't be mad! Daddy is a big shareholder of Rupin's and when he heard of the treatment you've received, he was very angry. He said it was wrong to treat any employee like that and he's going to take it up with him right after Christmas. Isn't that wonderful, Link?"

But he didn't answer her; the young man had fallen asleep before she had finished her first sentence. He lay on his back, with head turned toward her and both arms flung to either side. His mouth was ajar and very slight snores issued therefrom.

Zelda smiled again, leaned over him and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Good night, Link…"


	8. Christmas After All

Link slept very deeply through the night. When morning came he did not recall being woken every few hours, not to mention who performed that action. The next thing he could recall was the sound of somewhat hushed, whispering voices very nearby.

"Shhh! You'll wake Mr. Link!"

"No, I won't! I'm just going to see if he is awake!"

He felt a movement, like someone leaning on the side of the bed; upon realizing that he was too much aroused to sleep anymore, he made a sound halfway between a sigh and a groan, startling the little boys who were not at all successful in their attempt at being quiet. Upon cracking open his eyes, he saw two little faces peering expectantly at him.

"You're awake, Mr. Link!" Zill cried excitedly.

Stretching, the young man yawned and replied, "Yeah, I guess I am."

"We didn't wake you, did we? Mother told us we couldn't wake you because you need rest. Is it because of that bump on your head?" Joel rattled on.

Link scanned the room with disbelieving eyes. He was more than halfway sure he had dreamt the events of the day before and expected to wake in his dreary flat. This wasn't a dream, though. It was very real; he'd never felt so warm and comfortable upon waking while he'd lived under the witches' roof.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Almost twelve!" Joel informed him jubilantly. "You slept a long time, Mr. Link!"

Zelda poked her head into the room at that moment and upon seeing her brothers nearly bouncing on the bed with uncontainable excitement, she placed her hands on her hips and declared, "What are you two doing?! I hope you didn't wake Link with your shenanigans!" She was wearing a becoming maroon dress with white cuffs and lacy collar; she was very pretty in it, he thought.

But the young man responded first. "No, I was already waking up. Is it really twelve? Did I sleep that long?"

The girl pointed to the grandfather clock that Link had somehow missed in his examination of the room. "Almost straight up," she said, indicating the ornate hands. "You're probably pretty hungry, right? I'll go see about a tray for you right now." She turned to leave, but then she remembered something. "Merry Christmas, Link."

"Oh, yeah. Merry Christmas to you, too," he responded, and meant it.

Several minutes later, another maid carried a tray of the most delicious-smelling breakfast into the room. He stared at it, the saliva within his mouth going crazy. There was a heap of cheesy, golden eggs, strip upon strip of bacon, two thick slices of perfect brown toast, several potato pancakes, and a tall glass of frothy, creamy milk. Link needed no invitation; immediately he began to dig in and he minded not that Zelda and her brothers watching him with interest.

When he had finished, Joel piped up, "How come you get to eat that much, but when I try to Zellie calls me a little piggie?"

His sister ignored the comment and after removing the tray, she said, "Would you feel up to coming downstairs with us, Link? The boys have been begging nonstop to open their gifts, but Mother and Dad said we'd wait until you were ready. Only if you feel well enough, though."

"Are you sure I wouldn't be in the way?"

"Link, would we wait for you and endure the nagging of these two little brothers of mine if we didn't want you?"

"O-Okay, I'll come. Um, where are my clothes?"

"Oh, we sent them out to be cleaned. You can wear that bathrobe that Techer left at the bottom of the bed if you want. You can also find some clothes in the wardrobe over there. They should fit you, so don't be hesitant about borrowing whatever suits you. Take as much time as you need, Link."

Zelda propelled her brothers from the room and shut the door, leaving the young man to make his decisions. He was feeling quite a bit better and his head only ached a little. He went to the bathroom to wash his face, but he suddenly changed his mind and took advantage of the shower. Emerging fresh and clean, he selected something simple from the clothes his friend had mentioned, a pair of gray trousers, white shirt, and green pullover vest. He combed down his hair, going very cautiously over the lump that smarted at the slightest touch.

Finally, he was ready to join the family that was showing such kindness to him, but hardly had he stepped from his room than he was hopelessly lost in what seemed to him to be interminable hallways. As if by a stroke of luck, Techer approached from around a bend in the corridor and he immediately recognized Link's perplexed face.

"You are looking for the living room, sir? Please, allow me to show you the way."

The young man did so gladly; he followed the unerring butler through the halls that all seemed the same to him, and down the grand staircase that he could hardly remember from the night before. Techer opened the doors to the huge living room for him, announced in such a grand fashion, "Master Link," bowed, and closed the doors.

The living room was even grander than the library he'd been to the night before. A humongous Christmas tree, bedecked with ornaments either simple or expensive, bows, and lights, stood near one of the huge windows. Zelda and her parents were seated on one of the sofas pulled back a bit from the tree, while the boys prowled expectantly around and around the mountain of presents beneath the generous branches of the evergreen tree. In the fireplace a very merry fire crackled and laughed out sparks.

Five faces turned toward the young man. "Merry Christmas, Link my boy!" Gustaf boomed, striding over to him and shaking him enthusiastically by the hand.

"M-Merry Christmas, sir."

"Come on, now! Come over here! Those boys are about ready to tear into those packages!"

As Link went nearer under that gentleman's command, Zelda popped up and drew him down to the couch between her and her mother.

"Merry Christmas, Mrs. Harkinian," he said, barely managing to keep the gulp in his throat down.

"Merry Christmas, Link. You are looking well this afternoon. I trust you slept well?"

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you. I also enjoyed the breakfast."

Gustaf picked up a small present from beneath the tree and gave it to his wife. "As always, our Christmas tradition is that your mother opens the first gift. Boys! Wait until she opens it!"

The lady of the house pulled the ribbon and peeled back the paper at too slow a rate to satisfy her sons. As soon as the contents of the little box, a most exquisite pair of diamond earrings, came to light, both Joel and Zill made a dive for the other gifts around the tree. Several minutes of mad paper tearing and shrieks of delight followed as they ripped open nearly every gift within reach.

To Link's utter surprise, a few presents bore his name. From Joel and Zill each he received a pair of socks, Zelda gave him a book on botany, and her parents gifted him with a high-quality pair of shoes. He looked at the items, which were rather meager and last-minute when compared to the other lavish presents, but to him they were much more. They meant that someone had been thinking of him and cared about him; it meant more to him than he could ever express in mere words.

"Thank you," he said slowly, choking on the emotion that lodged in his throat. "Thank you all so much for your kindness." Zelda hugged him lightly, Gustaf thumped him on the back and Giselda smiled upon him.

"I don't know why you're so happy about some socks and shoes."

"Joel, hush!" commanded his mother.

The family spent the rest of their afternoon there, just enjoying the time quietly spent with each other. The boys played and fought over their new toys, scattered the wrapping paper to every corner of the room, and insisted on showing everyone else what they'd received. Link, Zelda, and her parents quietly conversed, sipped the warm eggnog brought in by the faithful Techer, and watched with delight or horror the antics of the children.

After a while, Zelda arose and settled herself on the piano bench, where she began to play Christmas songs. The young man who listened to her really had no idea that she could play so beautifully. He listened in ecstasy and suddenly was reminded of something. As Gustaf had gone over to knock the ashes from his pipe into the fireplace and Giselda was in the midst of scolding her boys for their fighting, Link went over to his friend.

Placing his hand upon the piano and looking down at the lovely girl with a faint blush on her cheeks, he said quietly, "Zelda, actually, I did have something to give you, but I forgot about it until just now."

"Yes, Link? What is it?" she inquired interestedly as she lifted her dancing eyes.

"It's something I wrote for you on an old piece of wrapping paper at the store. It was in the pocket of my jacket, so I don't know where it is now, but I memorized it. Do you want me to tell it to you now?"

"I'd love to hear it."

She pulled her hands off the keys and tilted her head upwards, looking at him expectantly. The young man leaned over and whispered into her ear the little poem that he'd formulated a week earlier. When he had finished, she grasped his hand warmly and gazed at him quite fondly, with the stars of joyful tears in her eyes.

"That…was so beautiful, Link! I love it!"

And that was when Link grinned. When he'd been with Zelda before, she had caused him to smile a bit, but he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so happy.

"You have to write that down for me so I can memorize it too!" she exclaimed.

He nodded blissfully.

Zelda went back to her music, casting frequent glances in his direction, and the young man remained there while he listened to the melodious sounds that issued forth. A little later, though, he was feeling a bit fatigued and he returned to the sofa with another secret smile at his friend. Link realized that this was really, truly and wonderful Christmas. As he laid his head upon the back of the couch, he wondered again how he had been fortunate enough to find a place with this family, the members of which were so willing to share their holiday with him. He was so tired and contented that he closed his eyes and he actually drifted off, lulled to sleep by the music and the warmth around him.

For the second time that day, Link awoke with a little flurry of activity around him. At first he was disoriented and when he lifted his head it pained him a little. Then he glanced over at the piano and the tree that no longer had presents under it; Zelda and her brothers weren't in the same places they'd occupied when he'd fallen asleep. Seeing that he was awake, Joel and Zill bounced around the side of the couch toward him and their grins were disconcerting to the young man. He realized that he could hear Zelda and her parents talked very quietly behind him.

"…do you think he's ready?"

"I think so, Father. I'll bring him along."

The master and mistress of the house quit the room and the girl leaned toward her friend from behind the sofa. Suddenly, Link felt a bit of cloth being pulled over his eyes and around his head.

"Hey!" he cried, more out of still sleepy reflex than anything else.

"Don't worry, Link," came Zelda's voice, very near and quite alive with excitement. "We have a surprise for you, but you mustn't peek!"

She pulled him to his feet and guided him from the room. Because he was hardly familiar with the house, Link couldn't even begin to tell where she was leading him; no matter how curious he was, not for the world would he have disappointed the girl by lifting the blindfold. All at once, she stopped and let go of his arm; he put out a hand to try and feel where she had gone and Zelda whisked the obstruction from his eyes.

He was in the entry hall, through which he and Zelda had passed the evening before. Standing near the door was a young lady of about seventeen, wearing a pale blue dress with sash and lace, pursing her mouth into a demure little frown, and with hair of spun gold that brushed her cheeks in little waves. She was removing her gloves as Link took a an unsteady step nearer; upon his approach she lifted dark green eyes that seemed so familiar.

"A-Aryll?" he gasped, unable to believe the evidence of his eyes. "Is that you?

"Link! Oh, Link!" the girl cried.

The distance between them quickly became as nothing; the young man held his sister in so tight a grip that she might have complained if she wasn't returning the embrace.

"Link! Oh, Link!" she sobbed. "I missed you so much! I thought I'd never see you again!"

"Sweet little Aryll! I've missed you! Oh, how I've dreamed of finding you again!" Link murmured into her ear. He placed one hand behind her head and pressed her against his collarbone, as tears fell from deep blue eyes that reflected the joy he felt within.

~ Fin ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters belong to Nintendo.
> 
> Sooo! Now that it's over, want to tell me your thoughts on this story?


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